>    r. 


■  ^  A' 


LIBRARY 


GIVEN  BY 


^^«^>r<f^  ^^  •  V\\W 


THE 


APOCALYPSE  REVEALED, 


WHEREIN  ARE  DISCLOSED 


ARCANA  TIIEIIE  FORETOLD, 


WUICn    HAVE 


HERETOFORE  REMAINED  CONCEALED. 


Translated  from  the  Latin  of 

EMANUEL    SWEDENBOKQ, 
•■  *  \ 

Servant  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 


IN  TWO  VOLUMES. 

YOL.  I. 

A  NEW  EDITION  REVISED  AND  CORRECTED. 


'SBW  YORK: 

AMERICAN  SWEDENLORG  PR1\TI\G  AND  PUBLISHING  SOCIETY. 

18S3 


June   8   1914 
Gift-George  ft  Hill   Xstat • 


P libit ihed  by  The  American  Swedexborg  Pkikting  and  Publishins 
SociETV,  organized  for  the  imrpose  of  Stereoiijjnuu,  Printinf/,  and 
PuhUshlng  Uniform  Editions  of  the  Theological  Writings  o/Emanukl 
SwEDEXBOKir  and  incorporated  in  the  State  of  New  York  a.  u.  1850. 


THE 


. APOCALYPSE    REVEALED, 


WHEREIN  ARE  DISCLOSED 


AKCANA    THERE    FORETOLD, 


WHICB    HAVE 


HITHERTO  REMAINED  CONCEALED. 


THE  AUTIIOR\S  PREFACE. 

Not  a  few  liave  laboured  at  the  explication  of  the  Apoca- 
lypse, but  as  they  were  unacquainted  with  the  spiritual  sense 
Df  the  Word,  they  could  not  discern  the  arcana  which  it  con- 
tains, seeing  that  these  can  only  be  uniblded  by  the  spiritual 
sense  :  expositors  have  thei'cfore  formed  various  conjectures 
respecting  it,  in  many  instances  applying  its  contents  to  the 
aft'airs  of  empires,  and  blending  them,  at  the  same  time,  with 
ecclesiastical  matters.  The  Apocalypse,  however,  like  the  rest 
of  the  Word,  treats  not,  in  its  spiritual  sense,  of  mundane 
things,  but  of  such  as  are  heavenly,  thus  not  of  empires  and 
kingdoms,  but  of  heaven  and  the  church. 

It  is  to  be  observed  that,  after  the  last  judgment,  which 
was  accomplished  in  the  spiritual  world,  in  the  year  1757, 
and  which  forms  the  subject  of  a  small  treatise  pul)lished  in 
London  in  1758,  a  new  heaven  was  formed  from  among  Chris- 
tians, from  those  only,  however,  M'ho  admitted  the  Lord  to  'ne 
the  God  of  heaven  and  earth,  according  to  his  own  words  in 
Matthew  xxviii.  18  ;  and  likewise  repented  in  the  world  of 
their  evil  works  :  from  this  heaven  the  New  Church  on  earth, 
which  is  the  New  Jerusalem,  dcsccnd,s.  and  will  contmue  t< 
5 


PREFACE. 

descend.  That  tliis  Church  Avill  acknowledge  the  Lord  oiu^ 
is  evident  from  these  words  in  the  Apocalj'pse  :  "There  came 
unto  me  3ne  of  the  seven  angels,  and  talked  with  me,  saying, 
Come  hither,  I  will  show  tliee  the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife ; 
aiid  lie  showed  me  that  great  city,  the  holy  Jerusalem,  de- 
scending out  of  heaven  from  God."  And  in  another  place  : 
"  Let  us  be  ghid  and  rejoice,  for  the  time  of  the  marriage 
of  the  Lamb  is  come,  and  his  wife  hath  made  iierself  read}- ; 
blessed  are  they  whicli  are  called  unto  the  maiTiage  supper 
rif  the  Lamb,"  chap.  xix.  7,  9.  That  there  will  be  a  new 
heaven,  and  tliat  the  Xcw  Church  will  descend  thence  upon 
earth,  is  evident  from  the  following  words,  in  the  same  book : 
"Isaw  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth:  and  I  saw  the  holy 
cit}',  New  Jerusalem,  coming  down  from  God  out  of  heaven, 
prepared  as  a  bride  adorned  for  her  husband  ;  and  he  that  sat 
upon  the  throne  said.  Behold,  I  make  all  things  new ;  and  he 
said  unto  me,  AVrite,  for  tliese  words  are  true  and  faithful," 
chap.  xxi.  1,  2,  5  ;  tlie  new  heaven  means  a  new  lieaven  from 
amono'  Christians  :  the  New  Jerusalem  means  a  new  church 
upon  earth,  which  will  make  one  with  that  new  heaven  ;  tlie 
Lamb  means  the  Lord  as  to  the  Divine  Humanity. 

To  this  something  shall  be  added  by  way  of  illustration. 
Tlie  Christian  heaven  is  below  the  ancient  heavens  ;  into  this 
heaven,  from  the  time  of  the  Lord's  abode  in  the  world,  were 
admitted  those  who  worshipped  one  God  nnder  three  jjei'sons, 
and  who  did  not  at  tlie  same  time  entertain  an  idea  of  tliree 
Gods  ;  and  this,  by  reason  of  a  trinity  of  persons  being  received 
throughout  the  whole  Christian  world  :  but  thev,  who  enter- 
tained  no  other  idea  of  the  Lord's  Humanity,  than  as  of  tlie 
6 


PRKKACE. 

Iminanity  df  aiiutlier  man,  could  nut  receive  the  faitli  ut  ilit 
Xew  Jerusalem,  which  is,  that  the  Lord  is  the  only  Go<l  in 
^vholn  there  is  a  trinity  ;  these  latter,  thereibre,  were  separated 
and  removed  ;  it  was  given  me  to  see  their  separation  and 
removal  after  tli^  last  judgment.  For  upon  a  just  idea  of  God, 
the  universal  heaven,  and  the  church  universal  on  earth,  are 
founded,  and  in  general  the  whole  of  religion;  for  by  that  idea 
there  is  conjunction,  and  by  conjunction,  light,  wisdom,  and 
eternal  happiness. 

Any  one  may  see  that  the  Apocalypse  could  no  how  be 
explained  but  by  the  Lord  alone,  since  every  word  of  it  con- 
tains arcana,  which  never  could  be  known  M-ithout  some  special 
illumination,  and  consequent  revelation  ;  wherefore  it  has 
pleased  the  Lord  to  open  the  sight  of  my  spirit  and  to  teach 
me.  It  must  not  therefore  be  supposed  that  I  have  given  any 
explication  of, my  own,  nor  that  even  of  any  angel,  but  only 
what  I  have  had  communicated  to  me  from  the  Lord  alone. 
The  Lord  said,  moreover,  by  an  angel  unto  John:  "Seal  not 
the  w^ords  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book,"  chap.  xxii.  10;  by 
which  is  signified,  that  they  arc  to  be  numifested  and  laid 
31>eu. 
1 


A   COMPENDIUM 

OK    THE 

DOCTRINES    OF    THE    ROMAN    CATHOLIC 
CHURCH   AND   RELIGION. 


Babylon,  or  the  Roman  Catholic  Reh'gion,  being  treated  ol 
in  the  Apocalypse,  in  cliapter  xvii.,  xviii,,  and  xix.,  it  is  expe- 
dient, at  the  comniencenient  of  these  explications,  to  say  some- 
tliing  concerning  its  doctrines,  and  that  in  the  following  order: 
On  Baptism;  on  the  Enchai'ist  or  Holy  Supper;  on  Masses; 
on  Repentance  ;  on  Justification  ;  on  Purgatory  ;  on  the  Seven 
Sacraments  ;  on  the  Saints  ;  and  on  Power. 

"  I.  On  Baptism,  they  teach :  that  Adam,  after  the  sin  of 
disobedience,  was  wholly  changed  for  the  worse,  both  as  to 
soul  and  body ;  that  this  sin  was  transfused  into  the  whole 
human  race ;  that  this  original  sin  is  only  taken  away  by  the 
merit  of  Chi-ist;  and  that  the  merit  of  Christ  is  applied  by  the 
sacrament  of  baptism  ;  and  that  thus  the  whole  guilt  of  original 
sin  is  taken  away  by  baptism ;  that  concupiscence  nevertheless 
remains  in  the  baptized  as  an  incentive  to  sins,  but  not  sin 
itself;  that  thus  they  put  on  Christ,  become  new  creatures,  and 
obtain  a  full  and  complete  remission  of  sins.  Baptism  is  called 
the  laver  of  regeneration  and  of  faith.  That  the  baptized,  when 
they  grow  np,  are  to  be  questioned  concerning  the  promises 
made  by  their  sponsors ;  which  is  the  Sacrament  of  Confirma- 
tion. That  by  reason  of  lapses  after  baptism,  the  sacrament  of 
repentance  is  necessary. 

"II.  On  the  Eucharist  or  Holy  Supper.  That  imme- 
diately after  consecration,  the  real  body  and  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ  are  truly  and  substantially  comprehended  nnder  the 
form  of  bread  and  wine,  together  with  his  soul  and  divinity  ; 
the  body  nnder  the  form  of  bread,  and  the  blood  nnder  tlio 
forni  of  wine,  by  virtue  of  the  words  :  but  the  hody  itself  under 
the  form  of  wine,  and  the  blood  under  tlie  form  of  bread,  and 
the  soul  in  both,  by  virtue  of  a  natural  connexion  and  con- 
comitance, whereby  the  parts  of  the  Lord  Christ  are  united 
together,  and  the  divinity  by  reason  of  its  admirable  hypostatic 
union  with  the  body  and  soul ;  thus  that  they  are  as  fully  com- 
prehended under  one  form  as  under  both ;  in  a  word,  that  tJie 
'J 


IH^CTiilNilS    OF    THE 

whole  and  entire  Christ  exists  nnder  the  form  of  the  hread  and 
nnder  every  part  of  that  form  ;  and  the  whole  of  him  also  nndor 
the  form  of  the  wine  and  all  its  parts ;  that  therefore  the  two 
forms  are  separated,  and  the  bread  is  given  to  the  laity,  and  the 
wine  to  the  clergy.  That  water  is  to  be  mixed  with  wine  in  the 
cup.  That  the  laity  are  to  receive  the  communion  from  the 
clergy,  and  the  clergy  from  themselves.  That  the  real  body  and 
the  real  blood  of  Christ,  after  consecration,  is  in  the  host  in  the 
consecrated  particles ;  and  that  therefore  the  liost  is  to  be  wor- 
gliipped  when  it  is  shown  and  carried  about.  That  this  wonder- 
ful and  singular  conversion  of  the  whole  substance  of  the  bread 
into  bod}^  and  of  the  whole  substance  of  the  wine  into  blood,  is 
called  transubstantiation.  That  the  communication  of  both 
forms,  under  certain  conditions,  may  be  granted  by  tlie  pope. 
It  is  called  supersubstantial  bread,  and  the  bread  of  angels, 
which  these  eat  without  any  veils;  it  is  called  moreover  spir- 
itual food ;  also  the  antidote  by  which  they  are  released  from 
their  sins. 

"III.  On  Masses.  It  is  called  the  sacrifice  of  the  mass, 
because  the  sacrifice  by  which  Christ  oflPered  np  himself  t>o  God 
the  Father,  is  represented  thereby  under  the  form  of  bread  and 
wine ;  that  thence  it  is  a  sacrifice  truly  propitiatory,  pure,  and 
altogether  holy.  That  if  the  people  do  not  communicate  sacra- 
mentally,  but  only  the  minister,  in  such  case  the  people  com- 
municate spiritually,  because  the  ministers  do  it,  not  for  them- 
selves only,  but  for  all  the  faithful  who  appertain  to  the  body  of 
Christ.  The  mass  ought  not  to  be  performed  in  the  vulgar 
tongue,  because  it  contains  the  great  learning  of  the  faithful 
people  ;  but  that  the  ministers  may  declare  something  con- 
cerning it  on  the  Lord's  day.  That  it  is  ordained,  that  some 
things  vrhich  are  mystical  should  be  pronounced  with  a  lower, 
and  other  things  with  a  louder,  voice ;  and,  for  the  purpose  of 
giving  a  majesty  to  so  great  a  sacrifice  which  is  offered  to  God, 
there  should  be  lights,  incense,  garments,  and  other  things  of  a 
like  nature  for  the  occasion.  That  it  is  to  be  offered  up  for  the 
sins,  penalties,  satisfactions,  and  ail  the  necessities  of  the  living, 
and  also  for  the  dead.  That  masses  in  honour  of  the  saints  are 
thanksgivings  for  their  intercession  when  they  are  implored. 

"  lY.  On  Kepentance.  That  besides  baptism  there  is  a 
sacrament  of  repentance,  whereby  the  benefit  of  tlie  death  and 
merit  of  Christ  is  applied  to  those  who  lapse  after  baptism ; 
therefore  it  is  called  a  kind  of  laborious  baptism.  That  the 
])arts  of  repentance  are  contrition,  confession,  and  satisfaction. 
That  CoNTEmoN  is  the  gift  of  God,  and  the  impulse  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  not  yet  inhabiting,  but  only  moving  the  contrite 
person,  therefore  it  is  a  disposing.  That  Confession  ought  to 
be  made  of  all  mortal  sins,  even  the  most  secret,  and  of  the 
'mtentions ;  that  sins  which  are  withheld  from  confession  are 
10 


ROMAN    CATHOLIC    RELIGION. 


not  for2;iven,  but  that  those  -which  after  search  do  not  occur, 
are  included  in  confession ;  tliat  confession  ouglit  to  be  made 
at  least  once  a  year:  tliat  absohition  of  sins  is  to  be  given  by 
the  ministers  of  the  keys,  and  that  they  are  remitted  on  their 
«aying,  I  Absolve;  that  absolution  is  like  the  act  of  a  judge 
when  sentence  is  pronounced ;  that  the  more  grievous  sins  are 
to  be  absolved  by  bishops,  and  the  still  more  grievous  by 
the  pope.  That  Satisfaction  is  made  by  satisfactory  punish- 
ments imposed  by  the  minister  at  discretion,  according  to  the 
measure  of  the  offence  ;  that  when  eternal  punishment  is  re- 
mitted, then  temporal  punishment  is  remitted  also.  Tiiat  the 
power  of  Indulgences  is  left  by  Christ  to  the  church,  and  that 
the  use  of  them  is  highly  sahitaiy. 

"  V.  On  Justification.  That  a  translation  cannot  be  ef- 
fected from  that  state  in  which  man  is  born  a  son  of  Adam,  to 
a  state  of  grace  through  the  second  Adam  the  Saviour,  without 
the  washing  of  regeneration  and  faith,  or  without  baptism. 
That  the  second  beginning  of  justification  is  from  preventing 
grace,  which  is  a  calling,  with  Avhich  man  co-operates  by  con- 
verting himself.  That  disposition  is  produced  hj  faith ^  when 
man  believes  those  things  to  be  true  which  are  revealed,  to 
which  he  is  freely  moved ;  also  by  hope^  when  he  believes  that 
God  is  propitious  for  the  sake  of  Christ ;  and  by  charity^  in 
consequence  whereof  he  begins  to  love  his  neighbour,  and  to 
hate  sin.  That  justification,  M-hich  follows,  is  not  only  re- 
mission of  sins,  but  sanctification,  and  renovation  of  the  inner 
man ;  that  at  this  time  the  justified  are  not  reputed  just,  but 
that  they  are  just,  receiving  righteousness  in  themselves;  and 
because  they  accept  the  merit  of  Christ's  passion,  justification 
is  inserted  by  faitli,  hope,  and  charity.  That  faith  is  the  be- 
ginning of  human  salvation,  the  foundation  and  root  of  justifi- 
cation, and  that  this  is  to  bo  justified  by  faith:  and  because 
none  of  those  things  which  precede  justification,  whether  they 
be  of  faith  or  works,  merit  the  grace  of  justification,  that  this 
is  to  be  justified  gratis,  for  there  is  a  preventing  grace;  and 
that  still  man  is  justified  by  works,  and  not  by  faith  alone. 
That  the  just  may  fall  into  light  and  venial  sins,  and  that  still 
they  are  just;  and  that  therefore  the  just  ought  continually  to 
lal)our  l)y  prayers,  oblations,  alms,  fastings,  lest  they  should 
fall,  because  they  are  born  a^ain  to  the  lio])e  of  gloiy,  and  not 
to  glory.  That  the  just,  if  tbey  fall  from  the  grace  of  justifi- 
cation, may  be  justified  again  by  the  sacrament  of  repentance: 
that  by  any  mortal  sin  grace  is  lost,  birt  not  faith,  but  that  faith 
also  is  lost  by  infidelity,  which  is  recession  from  religion.  That 
the  works  of  a  justified  man  are  merits;  and  that  the  justified, 
by  such,  which  are  done  by  them  through  the  grace  of  Qod 
and  the  merit  of  Christ,  merit  everlasting  life.  That  Free-will 
was  not  lost  and  extinguished  after  the  sin  of  Adam;  and  that 
11 


DOCTRINES    OF   THE 

man  may  co-operate,  by  assenting  to  the  calling  of  God ;  and 
that  otherwise  lie  would  be  an  inanimate  body.  They  establish 
Predestination,  by  saying,  that  no  one  knows  whether  he  is  in 
the  number  of  the  predestinate,  and  among  those  whom  God 
has  chosen  to  himself,  except  by  special  revelation. 

"  VI.  On  Purgatory.  That  all  the  guilt  from  which  men 
are  to  be  purified  by  temporal  punishment  is  not  blotted  out  by 
justification,  that  therefore  all  go  to  purgatory  to  be  purified, 
before  they  can  be  admitted  into  heaven.  That  the  souls  there 
detained  are  assisted  by  the  sufifrage  of  the  faithful,  and  par- 
ticularly by  the  sacrifice  of  the  mass  ;  and  that  this  is  diligently 
to  be  taught  and  preached."  The  torments  there  endured  are 
variously  described,  but  they  are  mere  inventions  and  fictions. 
"  VII.  On  the  Seven  Sacraments.  That  there  are  seven 
sacraments — baptism,  confirmation,  the  eucharist,  repentance, 
extreme  unction,  order,  and  matrimony ;  that  there  are  neither 
more  nor  less  ;  that  one  is  of  greater  dignity  than  another;  that 
they  contain  grace ;  and  that  from  the  work  operated  by  them 
grace  is  conferred :  that  tliere  were  the  same  number  of  sacra- 
ments of  the  ancient  law.  Baptism,  confirmation,  the  eucharist, 
and  repentance  have  been  treated  of  above.  On  the  Sacra- 
ment OF  Extreme  Unction  :  That  it  is  founded  on  the  epistle 
of  James,  cluip;  v.,  14,  15  ;  that  it  is  to  be  administered  to  the 
sick  at  their  lives'  end,  whence  it  is  called  the  sacrament  of  the 
departing ;  that  if  they  recover,  it  may  be  applied  again  ;  that 
it  is  to  be  performed  with  oil  consecrated  by  the  bishop,  and 
wdth  these  words :  '  May  God  grant  thee  his  indulgence  far 
whatsoever  oft'ence  thou  hast  committed  through  the  fault  of 
tlie  eyes,  of  the  nostrils,  or  of  the  feeling.'  On  the  Sacrament 
OF  Order  :  That  there  are  seven  orders  in  the  ministry  of  the 
priesthood,  which  differ  in  dignity,  and  all  together  are  called 
the  ecclesiastical  hierarchy,  which  is  like  the  order  of  an  en- 
campment ;  that  inaugurations  into  the  ministry  are  to  be 
effected  by  unctions,  and  by  transferring  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
upon  them.  That  the  secular  powder  or  consent,  calling  or  au- 
thority of  the  magistrate  is  not  requisite  for  the  ordination  of 
bishops  and  priests ;  that  they  who  ascend  to  the  ministry  only 
by  the  appointment  of  their  calling,  are  not  ministers,  but 
thieves  and  robbers,  who  do  not  enter  in  by  the  door.  On  the 
Sacrament  of  Matrimony  :  That  a  dispensation  of  degrees  and 
divorces  belongs  to  the  church.  Tliat  the  clergy  are  not  tc 
contract  matrimony.  That  all  of  them  may  have  the  gift  of 
chastity,  and  if  any  one'saith.he  cannot,  when  nevertheless  he 
had  made  a  vow,  let  him  be  anathema,  because  God  doth  not 
refuse  it  to  those  who  ask  it  properly,  and  doth  not  sufi^'er  any 
one  to  be  tempted  beyond  what  he  is  able  to  bear.  That  a 
state  of  virginity  and  celibacy  is  to  be  preferred  to  the  conjugaj 
stnte ;  besides  other  things  of  the  same  nature. 
12 


KOMAN    CAlUuLIC    RELIGION. 

"VIII.  On  the  Saints.  That  the  saints  reigning  together 
with  Christ  otier  up  tlieir  prayers  to  God  for  men ;  that  Christ 
is  to  be  adored,  and  the  saints  to  be  invoked;  that  the  invo- 
cation of  saints  is  not  idohitrous,  nor  derogatory  to  tlie  lionour 
of  the  one  Mediator  between  God  and  men  ;  it  is  called  Latna. 
That  images  of  Christ,  of  Mary  the  motlier  of  Gud,  and  of  the 
saints,  are  to  be  revered  and  lionoured,  not  that  it  is  to  be 
Bupposed  they  possess  any  divinity  or  virtue,  but  because  the 
honour  which  is  paid  to  them  is  referred  to  tlie  protot)  pes 
which  tliey  represent;  and  that  by  the  in'.ages  which  they  kiss 
and  before  whicli  they  kneel  and  uncover  their  heads,  they 
adore  Christ  and  venerate  the  saints.  That  the  miracles  of 
God  are  ix^rformed  by  the  saints. 

"IX.  On  Power.  That  the  Roman  Pontiff  is  the  successor 
cf  the  apostle  Peter,  and  vicar  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  head  of  the  ^ 
church,  and  the  universal  bishop;  that  he  is  superior  to  coun- 
cils ;  that  he  hath  the  keys  for  opening  and  shutting  heaven, 
consequently  the  power  of  remitting  and  retaining  sins ;  that 
therefore  he,  as  keeper  of  the  keys  of  everlasting  life,  hath  a 
right  at  once  to  earthly  and  heavenly  empire ;  tliat  moi'cover 
bishops  and  priests  have  such  a  power  from  him,  Ijecause  it  was 
given  also  to  the  rest  of  the  apostles,  and  that  therefore  they 
are  called  ministers  of  the  keys.  That  it  belongs  to  the  church 
to  judge  of  the  true  sense  and  interpretation  of  the  Sacred 
Scriptures,  and  that  they  who  oppose  them  are  to  suffer  pun- 
islmients  established  by  law.  That  it  is  not  proper  for  the  laity 
to  read  the  Sacred  Scriptures,  because  the  sense  of  them  is  only 
known  to  the  church  :  thence  its  ministers  boast  that  it  is  known 
to  them." 

X.  The  above  doctrinals  are  selected  from  their  councils 
and  bulls,  particularly  from  the  council  of  Trent,  and  the  papal 
bull  confirming  it,  wherein  all  who  think,  believe,  and  act  con- 
trary to  what  was  there  decreed,  which  in  general  is  as  above 
adduced,  are  condemned  to  be  excommunicated. 
13 


A   COMPENDIUM 

OP  THE 

DOCTRINES  OF  THE  REFORMED  CHURCH  AND 

RELIGION. 

The  members  of  the  Reformed  Church  being  much  treated 
of  in  the  Apocalypse,  in  its  spiritual  sense,  it  is  expedient,  be- 
fore entering  upon  its  explication,  to  unfold  their  doctrines  in 
the  following  order :  On  God ;  on  Christ  the  Lord  ;  on  Justifi- 
cation by  Faith,  and  on  Good  AVorks  ;  on  the  Law  and  the 
Gospel ;  on  Repentance  and  Confession  ;  on  Original  Sin ;  on 
Baptism ;  on  the  Holy  Supper ;  on  Free-will ;  and  on  the 
Church, 

"  I.  On  God.  Of  God  they  believe  according  to  the  Atha- 
iiasian  Creed,  which,  as  it  is  in  the  hands  of  every  one,  is  not 
here  inserted.  That  they  believe  in  God  the  Father  as  the  cre- 
ator and  preserver;  in  God  the  Son  as  the  saviour  and  redeemer ; 
and  in  the  Holy  Spirit  as  the  illuminator  and  sanctifier,  is  also 
well  known. 

"II.  On  Christ  the  Lokd.  Concerning  the  person  of 
Christ,  the  same  doctrine  is  not  taught  by  all  the  Reformed. 
The  Luthei'ans  teach  that  the  Yirgin  Mary  not  only  conceived 
and  brought  forth  a  real  man,  but  also  the  real  Son  of  God, 
whence  she  is  justly  called,  and  truly  is,  the  mother  of  God. 
That  in  Christ  there  are  two  natures,  a  divine  and  a  human, 
the  divine  from  eternity,  and  the  human  in  time  ;  that  these  two 
natures  are  personally  united,  altogether  in  such  a  manner,  that 
there  are  not  two  Christs,  one  the  Son  of  God,  and  the  other 
the  Son  of  man ;  but  that  one  and  the  same  is  the  Son  of  God 
and  the  Son  ol  man,  not  that  these  two  natures  are  mixed 
together  into  one  substance,  nor  that  one  is  changed  into  the 
other,  but  that  both  natures  retain  their  essential  properties, 
wliich  are  also  described  as  to  their  qualities  :  that  their  union 
is  hypostatic,  and  that  this  is  ^he  most  perfect  commimion,  like 
that  of  the  soul  and  body ;  that  therefore  it  is  justly  said,  that 
in  Christ  God  is  man  and  man  God ;  that  he  did  not  sutler  for 
us  as  mere  man  only,  but  as  such  a  man,  whose  human  nature 
liath  so  strict  and  ineffable  a  union  and  communion  with  the 
Son  of  God,  as  to  become  one  person  with  him  ;  that  in  truth 

14 


DOCTKINKS    OF    Tllfc:    KKFORMKD    ClIUKCH,    KTC. 

the  Son  of  God  sufiered  for  us,  but  yet  accordi!i«r  to  the 
properties  of  human  nature ;  that  the  Son  of  man,  by  xrhom  is 
undei*stood  Clirist  as  to  his  liuman  nature,  was  really  exalted  to 
the  right  hand  of  God  when  he  was  taken  into  God,  which  was 
the  case  as  soon  as  he  was  conceived  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the 
womb  of  his  mother;  that  Christ  always  had  that  majesty  by 
reason  of  his  personal  union,  but  that,  in  his  state  of  exinanitiou, 
lie  only  exercised  it  so  far  as  he  thought  proper;  but  that  after 
his  resurrection  he  fully  and  entirely  put  off  the  form  of  a 
servant,  and  put  his  human  nature  or  essence  into  a  plenary 
assumption  of  the  divine  majesty ;  and  that  in  this  manner  ho 
entered  into  glory ;  in  a  word,  that  Christ  is,  and  remains  to 
all  eternity,  perfect  God  and  num  in  one  indivisible  person; 
and  the  true,  omnipotent,  and  eternal  God  :  being  also,  with 
respect  to  his  hunumity,  present  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  he 
governs  all  things  in  heaven  and  upon  earth,  and  also  lills  all 
things,  is  with  us,  and  dwells  and  operates  in  us.  That  there 
is  no  difference  of  adoration,  because  by  the  nature  which  is 
seen,  the  divinity  which  is  not  seen,  is  adored.  That  the  divine 
essence  communicates  and  imparts  its  own  excellences  to  the 
human  nature,  and  performs  its  divine  operations  by  the  body 
as  by  its  organ  ;  that  thus  all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  dwells 
in  Christ  bodily,  according  to  Paul.  That  the  incarnation  was 
accomplished  that  he  might  reconcile  the  Father  to  us,  and  be- 
come a  sacrifice  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world,  as  well  original 
as  actual ;  that  he  was  incarnate  of  the  substance  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  Ijut  that  his  human  nature  was  produced  from  the  Virgin 
Mary,  which,  as  the  Word,  he  assumed  and  united  to  himself; 
that  he  sanctifies  those  who  believe  in  him,  by  sending  the  Holy 
Spirit  into  their  hearts,  to  guide,  comfort,  and  vivity  them,  aiui 
defend  them  against  the  devil  and  the  power  of  sin.  That 
Christ  descended  into  hell,  and  destroyed  hell  for  all  believers; 
but  in  what  manner  these  things  were  effected,  he  doth  not  wish 
them  to  scrutinize  too  curiously,  but  that  the  knowledge  of  this 
matter  may  be  reserved  for  another  age,  when  not  only  this 
mystery,  b.it  matiy  other  things  also  shall  be  revealed."  These 
]>articulars  are  from  Luther;  the  Augustan  Confession;  the 
Ct)uncil  of  Nice ;  and  the  Smalcalden  Articles.  See  the  For- 
mula ConcordijB. 

"  Some  of  the  Reformed,  who  are  also  treated  of  in  the 
Formula  Concordiae,  believe  that  Christ,  according  to  his  human 
nature,  by  exaltation,  received  only  created  gifts  aiul  finite 
power,  therefore  that  he  is  a  man  like  any  other,  retaining  the 
properties  of  the  flesh;  that  therelbre  as  to  his  human  nature 
ne  is  not  omnipotent  and  omniscient;  that  although  absent  he 
governs,  as  a  King,  things  remote  from  himself;  that  as  God 
from  eternity  he  is  with  the  Father,  and  as  a  man  born  in  time, 
he  is  with  the  angels  in  heaven ;  and  that  when  it  is  said,  in 
15 


DOCTKI^'ES    OF   THE 

Olinst  God  is  man  and  man  God,  it  is  only  a  figurative  mode 
of  speech  :  besides  other  things  of  a  like  nature. 

"  But  this  disagreement  is  adjusted  bj  the  Athanasian  Creed, 
M'liicli  is  received  by  all  the  Christian  world,  where  these  words 
occur :  '  The  true  foith  is,  that  we  believe  and  confess  that  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  is  God  and  man  ;  God,  of 
the  substance  of  the  Father,  begotten  before  the  world,  and 
man,  of  the  substance  of  the  motlier,  born  in  the  world ;  per- 
fect God  and  j)erfect  man  :  who,  although  he  be  God  and  man, 
yet  these  are  not  two  but  one  Christ ;  one,  not  by  conversion 
of  the  divine  Essence  into  body,  but  by  the  taking  of  his  man- 
hood into  God ;  one  altogether,  not  by  confusion  of  substance, 
but  by  unity  of  person  ;  for  as  the  reasonable  soul  and  body  is 
one  man,  so  God  and  man  is  one  Christ.' 

"  III.  On  Justification  by  Faith,  and  on  Good  "Works. 
The  justifying  and  saving  faith  of  the  clergy  is  this  ; — That  God 
the  Father  turned  himself  away  from  the  human  race  by  reason 
of  their  iniquities,  and  so,  from  justice,  condemned  them  to 
eternal  death,  and  that  he  therefore  sent  his  Son  into  the  world 
to  expiate  and  redeem  them,  and  make  satisftiction  and  recon- 
ciliation ;  and  that  his  Son  did  this  by  taking  upon  himself  the 
damnation  of  the  law,  and  suffering  himself  to  be  crucified,  and 
that  thus  by  obedience  he  entirely  satisfied  God's  justice,  even 
to  becoming  justice  himself;  and  that  God  the  Father  imputes 
and  applies  this,  as  his  merit,  to  believers,  and  sends  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  them,  who  operates  charity,  good  M^orks,  and  repent- 
ance, as  a  good  tree  produces  good  fruits  ;  and  justifies,  renews, 
regenerates,  and  sanctifies ;  and  that  this  faith  is  the  only  me- 
dium of  salvation,  and  that  by  it  alone  a  man's  sins  are  forgiven. 
They  make  a  distinction  between  the  act  and  the  state  of  justi- 
fication : — by  the  act  of  justification  they  understand  the  begin 
ning  of  justification,  wliich  takes  place  in  a  moment,  when  man 
by  that  faith  alone  apprehends  with  confidence  the  merit  of 
Christ;  by  the  state  of  justification  they  understand  the  pro- 
gress of  that  fiiith,  which  takes  place  by  the  interior  operation 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  does  not  manifest  itself  except  by 
certain  signs,  concerning  which  they  teach  various  things  ;  they 
speak  also  of  good  works  manifested,  which  are  done  fro/m  the 
man  and  his  will,  and  follow  that  faith ;  but  they  exclude  them 
from  justification,  because  the  selfhood,  and  therefore  the  merit, 
of  man  is  in  them.  This  is  a  summary  of  modern  faith,  but  its 
confirmations,  and  the  traditions  concerning  it,  are  numerous 
and  manifold  ;  some  of  which  alsoshall  be  adduced  ;  which  are, 
that  men  cannot  be  justified  before  God  by  their  own  strength, 
merits,  and  works,  but  gratuitously  for  Christ's  sake,  by  faith  ; 
that  by  this  faith  they  believe  that  they  are  received  into  grace, 
and  their  sins  are  remitted  for  his  sake,  who  by  his  death  made 
satisfaction  for  us,  and  that  God  the  Father  imputes  this  to 
16 


KEFOKMKD   CHrKCH. 


"believers  for  rigliteousncss  before  him  ;  that  this  fiiith,  that 
Clirist  suffered  and  died  for  us,  is  not  only  an  historical  know- 
ledge, but  also  a  cordial  assent,  confidence,  and  trust,  that  sins 
are" gratuitously  remitted  for  Christ's  sake,  aud  that  they  are 
justified;  and  that  at  this  time  these  three  things  concur,  gra- 
tuitous promise,  the  merit  of  Christ  as  a  price,  and  propitiation. 
That  faith  is  the  righteousness  by  which  we  are  reputed  just 
before  God  by  reason  of  the  promise;  and  that  to  be  justitied 
is  to  be  absolved  from  sins,  and  that  it  may  also  be  called  a 
kind  of  quickening  and  regeneration  ;  that  faith  is  imputed  to 
us  for  righteousness,  not  because  it  is  so  good  a  work,  but  be 
cause  it  apprehends  the  merit  of  Christ.  That  the  merit  of 
Christ  is  his  obedience,  passion,  death,  and  resurrection  ;  that 
it  is  necessary  there  siiould  be  something  by  which  God  can  be 
approached,  and  that  this  is  nothing  else  but  faith,  by  which 
reception  is  effected.  That  faith,  in  the  act  of  justification, 
enters  by  the  word  and  by  the  hearing,  and  that  it  is  not  the 
act  of  man,  but  that  it  is  the  o2'>eration  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 
that  man  does  not  co-operate  any  more  than  a  statue  of  salt,  a 
stock,  or  a  stone,  doing  nothing  from  himself,  and  knowing 
nothing  of  it ;  but  that  after  the  act  he  co-operates,  yet  not 
with  any  will  of  his  own  in  spiritual  things  ;  in  things  natural, 
civil,  and  moral,  it  is  otherwise :  but  that  they  can  so  far  pro- 
ceed in  things  spiritual  as  to  will  what  is  good,  and  to  feel  de- 
light in  consequence,  yet  this  is  not  from  their  own  wil^.  but 
from  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  that  thus  they  co-operate,  not  ii'om 
their  own  powers,  but  from  new  powers  and  gifts  begun  in.tliem 
by  the  Holy  Spirit  in  their  conversion  ;  and  that  in  real  con- 
version a  change,  renovation,  and  motion  are  produced  in  the 
understanding  and  heart  of  man.  That  charity,  good  works, 
and  repentance,  do  not  enter  into  the  act  of  justification,  but 
that  they  are  necessary  in  a  state  of  justification,  especially 
by  reason  of  God's  command,  and  that  by  them  are  merited 
the  corporeal  rewards  of  this  life,  but  not  the  remission  of  sins, 
and  the  glory  of  everlasting  life,  because  faitli  alone,  without 
the  works  of  the  law,  justifies  and  saves.  That  faith  in  act 
justifies  man,  but  faith  in  state  renovates  him.;  that  in  renova- 
tion by  reason  of  God's  command,  the  works  reputed  good,  as 
pointed  out  by  the  decalogue,  are  necessary  to  be  performed,  be- 
cause it  is  the  will  of  God  that  carnal  lusts  should  be  restrained 
by  civil  discipline,  for  which  reason  he  has  provided  doctrine, 
laws,  magistrates,  and  punishments  ;  that,  therefore,  it  is  con- 
sequently false,  that  by  works  we  merit  remission  of  sins  and 
salvation,  and  that  works  have  any  effect  in  preserving  faith; 
and  that  it  is  also  false,  that  man  is  reputed  just  on  account  of 
the  rational  justice  or  righteousness  he  may  possess  ;  and  that 
reason  can,  from  its  own  power,  love  God  above  all  things  and 
pei'form  hie  law ;  in  a  word,  that  faith  and  salvation  are  net 
IT  B 


DOCTRINES   OF   THE 

g reserved  and  retained  in  men  by  good  works,  but  only  by  the 
pirit  of  God  and  by  laith  ;  but  still  that  good  works  are  testi- 
monies that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  present  and  dwells  in  them. 
They  condemn  as  pernicious,  this  mode  of  speech — that  good 
works  are  hurtful  to  salvation ;  because  the  interior  works  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  are  to  be  understood,  which  are  good,  not  ex- 
terior works  proceeding  from  man's  own  will,  which  are  not 
good  but  evil,  because  they  are  meritorious.  They  teach,  more- 
over, that  Christ  at  the  last  judgment  will  pronounce  sentence 
upon  good  and  evil  works  as  efiects  proper  and  not  proper  to 
the  faith  of  man.  Tiiis  faith  rules  at  this  day  in  the  whole  re- 
formed Christian  w^orld  with  the  clergy,  but  not  with  the  laity, 
except  in  a  very  few  instances  ;  for  the  laity  by  faith  understand 
nothing  else  but  believing  in  Grod  the  Fatlier,  the  Son,  and  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  that  he  who  lives  well  and  believes  well, 
Avill  be  saved  ;  and  of  the  Lord  that  he  is  the  Saviour ;  for  they 
are  ignorant  of  the  mysteries  of  justification  of  their  preachers, 
who,  although  they  preach  such  things,  yet,  with  the  laity  who 
liear  them,  they  enter  in  at  one  ear  and  go  out  at  the  other ; 
their  teachers,  indeed,  think  themselves  learned,  from  knowing 
them,  and  labour  much  in  their  schools  and  universities  to  make 
themselves  masters  of  them  ;  therefore  it  is  said  above,  that  that 
faith  is  the  faith  of  the  clergy.  But  yet  the  teachers  teach  this 
same  faith  difi'erentl}-  in  the  different  kingdoms  in  which  the 
Reformed  Church  is  established ;  in  Germany,  SAveden,  and 
Denmark,  they  say,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  operates  by  that  faith, 
and  justifies  and  sanctifies  men,  and  afterwards  successively 
renovates  and  regenerates  them,  but  without  the  works  of  the 
law  ;  and  they  who  are  in  that  faith  from  trust  and  confidence, 
are  in  grace  with  God  the  Father ;  and  that  then  the  evils  which 
they  do,  appear  indeed,  but  are  constantly  remitted.  In  Eng- 
land, they  teach  that  that  faith  produces  charity  without  mans 
Icnowledge,  and  that  when  man  feels  the  Holy  Spirit  operate 
interiorly  in  himself,  this  operation  also  is  the  good  of  charity; 
and  if  he  does  not  feel  it,  and  yet  does  good  for  the  sake  of  sal- 
vation, that  it  may  be  called  good,  but  still  that  it  derives  some- 
what from  man,  in  that  there  is  merit  in  it.  Moreover,  that 
such  faith  can  operate  this  at  the  hour  of  death,  yet  they  do  not 
know  how.  In  Holland,  they  teach,  that  God  the  Father,  for 
the  sake  of  the  Son,  justifies  and  purifies  man  interiorly  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  through  that  faith,  but  even  to  his  own  proper  will, 
from  which  it  turns  back  without  touching  it ;  some  teach  that 
it  does  indeed  lightly  touch  it,  and  that  the  evils  of  man's  will 
do  not  appear  in  the  sight  of  God.  But  a  few  only  of  the  laity 
know  any  thing  of  these  mysteries  of  the  clergy ;  the  latter  in- 
deed are  unwilling  to  publish  them  as  they  are  in  themselves, 
because  they  know  that  the  laity  have  no  relish  for  them. 

"IV.  On  the  Law  and  the  Gospel.     That  the  law  waa 
18 


REFORMKD   CHURCH. 

criven  bv  God,  that  it  niiu^ht  be  known  what  sin  is,  and  that 
thus  it  iiiigiit  be  restrained  by  tlireuts  and  by  fear,  and  after- 
wards by  promise  and  the  annunciation  of  grace  ;  therefore  the 
]»rincipal  olUce  of  the  law  is,  to  reveal  original  sin  and  all  the 
fruits  of  it,  and  to  make  known  to  how  horrible  a  degree  the 
nature  of  ir  an  is  fallen  and  totally  depraved ;  by  this  means  it 
terrilies,  Ir.imbles,  and  reduces  man  to  despair  of  himself,  and 
anxiously  to  desire  aid :  this  efi'ect  of  the  law  is  called  contri- 
tion, which  is  not  active  or  factitious,  but  passive,  and  the 
torment  of  conscience ;  but  the  gospel  is  the  whole  doctrine 
concerjiing  Christ  and  faith  ;  and,  therefore,  concerning  the  re- 
mission of  sins ;  consequently,  a  most  joyful  messenger,  not 
reproving  and  terrifying,  but  comforting :  by  the  law  the  wrath 
of  God  against  all  impiety  is  revealed,  and  man  is  condemned, 
therefore  it  causes  man  to  look  up  to  Christ,  and  to  the  gospel ; 
they  must  both  be  preached,  because  they  are  connected.  The 
gospel  teaches  that  Christ  took  upon  himself  the  curse  of  the 
law  and  eA])iated  all  sins,  and  that  we  consequently  obtain 
remission  by  faith.  That  the  Holy  Spirit  is  given  and  received, 
and  the  heart  of  man  renewed,  not  by  the  preaching  of  tlie  law, 
but  of  the  gospel ;  and  that  the  Spirit  afterwards  makes  use  of 
the  ministry  of  the  law,  to  teach  and  show  in  the  decalogue, 
what  the  good  will  and  pleasure  of  God  is;  thus  the  Spirit 
mortifies  and  quickens.  That  a  distinction  is  to  be  made  be- 
tween the  works  of  the  law,  and  the  works  of  the  Spirit,  there- 
fore the  faithful  are  not  under  the  law,  but  under  grace,  for 
that  very  reason.  That  the  righteousness  of  the  law  does  not 
justify,  that  is,  does  not  reconcile  nor  regenerate,  nor,  by  itself, 
make  men  accepted  of  God  ;  but  M'hen  the  Holy  Spirit  is  given, 
the  fnltilling  of  the  law  follows.  That  the  works  of  the  second 
table  of  the  decalogue  do  not  justify,  because  by  it  we  act  with 
men,  and  not  properly  with  God,  and  yet  in  justification  we 
must  act  with  God.  That  Christ  without  sin  suffered  the  pun- 
ishment of  sin,  and  was  made  a  sacrifice  for  us,  whereby  ho 
took  away  that  right  of  the  law,  that  it  might  not  condemn  be- 
lievers, because  he  is  a  propitiation  for  them,  for  the  sake  of 
which  they  are  reputed  just. 

"  V.  On  Repentance  and  Confession.  That  repentance 
consists  of  two  parts  ;  one  is  contrition,  or  terror  struck  into  the 
conscience  by  reason  of  sin  ;  the  other  faith,  which  is  conceived 
from  the  gospel,  and  by  the  remission  of  sins,  comforts  the  con- 
science and  delivers  from  terrors.  He  who  confesses  himself 
to  be  nothing  but  sin,  comprehends  all  sins,  excludes  none,  and 
forgets  none ;  thus  sins  are  purged  away,  man  is  purified,  recti- 
fied, and  sanctified  ;  because  the  Holy  Spirit  does  not  sutler  sin 
to  have  dominion,  but  represses  and  restrains  it.  That  the  enu- 
meriition  of  sins  ought  to  be  free,  as  the  person  may  choose  or 
not  choose ;    and  that  great  stress  is  to  be  laid  upon  private 


DOCTRINES    OF   THE 

confession  and  absolution  ;  tlierefore  if  any  one  chooses,  lie  may 
confess  his  sins,  and  receive  absolution  from  the  confessor,  and 
that  in  such  case  his  sins  are  remitted.  The  words  which  the 
minister  is  to  make  use  of  on  this  occasion  are,  '  May  God  be 
propitious  to  thee,  and  coniinn  thy  faith;  be  it  unto  thee  as 
thou  believest,  and  I,  by  the  connnandment  of  the  Lord,  remit 
to  thee  thy  sins :'  but  others  say,  '  I  announce  to  thee  the  re- 
mission of  thy  sins :'  tliat  still,  however,  sins  are  not  forgiven 
by  repentance  any  more  than  by  works ;  but  by  faith.  Ihere- 
fore,  the  repentance  of  the  clergy  is  only  a  confession  before 
God  that  they  are  sinners,  and  a  prayer  that  they  may  perse- 
vere in  faith.  Tliat  expiations  and  satisfactions  are  not  neces- 
sary, because  Christ  is  expiation  and  satisfaction, 

"  YI.  On  Original  Sin,  they  teach  :  That  after  the  fall  of 
Adam  all  men  propagated  according  to  nature  born  in  sin,  that 
is,  without  the  fear  of  God,  and  with  concupiscences ;  and  that 
this  condemns  and  brings  eternal  death  upon  those  who  are  not 
born  again  by  baptism  and  the  Holy  Spirit:  that  it  is  a  priva- 
tion of  original  righteousness,  and  at  the  same  time  an  inordi- 
nate disposition  of  the  parts  of  the  soul,  and  a  corrupt  habit. 
That  there  is  a  difference  between  the  nature  itself  into  v\'hich 
man  was  created,  which  exists  even  after  the  fall,  and  remains 
a  creature  of  God,  and  original  sin ;  therefore,  that  there  is  a 
difference  between  corrupt  nature,  and  the  corruption  which  is 
inherent  in  nature,  and  by  which  nature  is  corrupt :  that  no  one 
but  God  alone  can  separate  the  corruption  of  nature  from 
nature  itself;  that  this  will  manifestly  be  done  in  the  blessed 
resurrection,  because  then  nature  itself,  which  encloses  man  in 
this  world,  will  rise  again  without  original  sin,  and  enjoy  eter- 
nal felicity  ;  that  the  difference  is  as  great  as  between  the  work 
of  God  and  the  work  of  the  devil ;  that  this  sin  did  not  invade 
nature  in  such  a  manner,  as  if  Satan  had  created  any  evil  sub- 
stantially and  commixed  it  with  nature,  but  that  concreate  and 
original  righteousness  was  lost:  that  original  sin  is  an  accident; 
and  that  by  reason  of  it,  man  is,  as  it  Avere,  spiritually  dead 
before  God  :  that  this  evil  is  covered  and  pardoned  by  Christ 
alone :  that  the  seed  itself  from  which  man  is  formed,  is  con- 
taminated with  that  sin  :  that  hence  also  it  is,  that  man  receives 
from  his  parents  depraved  inclinations  and  internal  uncleanness 
of  heart. 

"  Vll.  On  Baptism.  That  baptism  is  not  simply  water, 
but  that  it  is  water  taken  by  the  divine  command,  and  sealed 
with  the  Word  of  God,  and  thus  sanctified :  that  the  virtue, 
work,  fruit,  and  end  of  baptism  is,  that  men  may  be  saved,  and 
admitted  into  the  Christian  communion.  That  by  baptism  vic- 
tory is  offered  over  death  and  the  devil ;  remission  of  sins  ;  the 
grace  of  God  ;  Christ  with  all  his  works  ;  and  the  Holy  S])irit 
with  all  his  gifts ;  and  eternal  blessedness  to  all  and  every  be- 
20 


EEFORMED   CUUKCH. 

liever.  "Whether  faith  be  given  to  infants,  also,  by  baptism,  is 
a  question  too  deep  to  be  solicitously  inquired  into.  That  im- 
mersion in  water  signifies  the  mortilication  of  the  old  man,  and 
the  resurrection  of  the  new ;  that  therefore  it  may  be  called 
the  laver  of  regeneration  ;  and  the  true  laver  in  the  Word  ;  also 
in  the  death  and  burial  of  Christ.  That  the  life  of  a  Christian 
is  a  daily  baptism  once  begun  in  this  manner:  that  the  water 
does  not  effect  this,  but  the  Word  of  God,  which  is  in  and  with 
the  water,  and  the  faith  of  God's  "Word  added  to  the  water ; 
that  hence  it  follows,  that  bajitism  in  the  name  of  God,  is  per- 
formed by  men  indeed,  but  is  not  from  them,  but  from  God 
himself.  That  baptism  does  not  take  away  original  sin,  by  ex- 
tinguishing evil  concupiscence,  but  only  the  guilt  of  it. 

"  But  others  of  the  Reformed  believe,  that  baptism  is  an  ex- 
ternal laver  of  water,  whereby  an  internal  ablution  from  sin  is 
signified;  that  it  does  not  confer  regeneration,  faith,  the  grace 
of  God,  and  salvation,  but  only  signifies  and  seals  them ;  and 
that  they  are  not  conferred  in  and  witli  ba])tism,  but  afterwards 
as  the  person  grows  up ;  and  that  the  elect  alone  obtain  the 
grace  of  Christ  and  the  gift  of  faith  :  and  because  salvation  does 
not  depend  upon  baptism,  that  therefore  it  is  permitted  to  be 
performed  by  another  for  want  of  a  regular  minister. 

"  VIII.  Ox  THE  Lord's  Supper.  They  of  the  Reformed 
Church,  who  are  called  Lutherans,  teach  that  in  the  holy  sup- 
per or  sacrament  of  the  altar,  the  body  and  Ijlood  of  Christ  are 
really  and  substantially  present,  and  are  actually  distributed  and 
received  with  the  bread  and  wine ;  that  therefore  the  real  body 
and  the  real  blood  of  Christ  are  in,  with,  and  under  the  ba-eud 
rind  wine,  and  are  given  to  Christians  to  eat  and  drink ;  and 
that  therefore  they  are  not  simply  bread  and  wine,  but  are  in- 
cluded and  bound  in  the  Word  of  God,  and  that  this  causes 
them  to  be  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ ;  for  when  the  Word 
accedes  to  the  element,  it  becomes  a  saci-ament;  but  yet  that 
there  is  no  transubstantiation,  sucli  as  is  that  of  the  papists: 
that  it  is  the  food  of  the  soul,  nourishiniic  and  strenf^theninf;  the 
new  man :  that  it  was  instituted,  to  the  end  that  faith  might 
repair  and  receive  its  strength,  to  give  remission  of  sins,  and  a 
new  life,  which  Christ  merited  for  us:  that  thus  the  body  and 
blood  of  Christ  are  not  only  taken  8])iritnally  by  faith,  but  also 
by  the  mouth,  in  a  supernatural  way,  by  reason  of  their  sacra- 
mental union  with  the  bread  and  v;ine :  that  the  worthiness  of 
this  supper  consists  in  obedience  alone,  and  in  the  merit  of 
Christ,  which  is  aj)plied  by  true  faith.  Li  a  M'ord,  that  the 
sacraments  of  the  Lord's  supper  and  of  baptism,  are  testimonies 
of  the  will  and  grace  of  God  towards  men ;  and  that  the  sacra- 
ment of  the  supper  is  a  promise  of  remission  of  sins  througli 
I'aith  ;  that  it  may  move  the  heart  to  believe  ;  and  that  the  ILjly 
Spirit  may  operate  through  the  Word  and  the  sacraments  :  that 
21 


DOCTRINES   OF   THE 

the  consecration  of  the  minister  does  not  produce  these  eiiects, 
but  that  they  are  to  he  attributed  to  the  sole  omnipotent  virtue 
of  the  Lord.  That  the  unworthy,  as  well  as  the  worthy,  receive 
the  real  body  and  blood  of  Christ,  as  it  hung  upon  the  cross ; 
but  the  worthy  to  salvation,  the  unworthy  to  condemnation ; 
that  they  are  worthy  who  have  faith  :  that  no  one  'm  to  be  forced 
to  that  supper,  but  every  one  may  approach  when  urged  by 
spiritual  hunger. 

"  Others,  however,  of  the  Reformed  Church  teach,  that  in 
the  holy  supper  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ  are  only  taken 
spiritually,  and  that  the  bread  and  wine  are  only  signs,  types, 
symbols,  marks,  figures,  and  similitudes ;  that  Christ  is  not 
bodily  present,  but  only  in  virtue  and  operation  from  his  Di- 
vine Essence  ;  but  that  in  heaven  there  is  a  conjunction  accord- 
ing to  the  coniTnunication  of  idioms  :  that  the  worthiness  of  this 
supper  depends  not  only  upon  faith,  but  also  upon  preparation  : 
that  the  worthy  alone  receive  its  virtue,  but  the  unworthy 
bread  and  wine  onl3^  Although  there  are  these  disagreements 
in  sentiment,  yet  ail  the  Reformed  agree  in  this :  that  it  is 
altogether  necessary  that  they  should  do  the  work  of  repent- 
ance, who  desire  to  receive  that  holy  supper  worthily;  the 
Lutherans  insist  that  if  they  do  not  do  repentance  from  evil 
works,  and  yet  approach,  they  are  eternally  condemned  ;  and 
the  English,  that  otherwise  the  devil  will  enter  into  them  as  he 
did  into  Judas  ;  this  is  evident  from  the  prayers  read  before 
the  communion. 

"  IX.  On  Free  Will.  They  make  a  distinction  between 
the  state  before  the  fall,  after  the  fall,  after  the  reception  of 
faith  and  renovation,  and  after  the  resurrection.  That  man 
since  the  fall  is  entirely  incapable  of  beginning,  thinking, 
understanding,  believing,  willing,  operating  or  co-operating  any 
thing  from  his  own  power  in  matters  of  a  spiritual  and  divine 
nature  ;  or  of  applying  or  accommodating  himself  to  grace  ; 
but  that  his  natural  will  is  only  for  those  things  which  are  con- 
trary to  God,  and  displease  him  ;  tlierefore  that  man  in  spiritual 
things  is  like  a  stock,  but  that  still  he  has  a  capacity,  not  active, 
but  passive,  whereby  he  can  be  turned  to  good  by  the  grace  of 
God  ;  that  nevertheless  there  remains  in  man  since  the  tall,  the 
free-will  and  power  either  to  hear  or  not  to  hear  the  Word  of 
God,  and  that  thus  a  spark  of  feith  may  be  kindled  in  his  heart, 
which  embraces  the  remission  of  sins  ibr  Christ's  sake,  and  im- 
parts consolation.  That  nevertheless  the  human  will  enjoys 
the  liberty  of  performing  civil  righteousness,  and  of  making 
choice  of  such  things  as  are  within  the  province  of  reason. 

"  X.  On  the  Chukch.    That  the  church  is  the  congregation 

and  communion  of  saints,  and  that  it  is  dispersed  over  the  whale 

world  among  those  who  have  the  same  Christ,  and  the  sam9 

Holy  Spirit,  and  the  same  sacraments,  whether  they  have  sim 

22 


EEFOKMED  CUURCH. 

liar  or  dissimilar  traditions :  and  that  it  is  principally  a  society 
offUith;  and  that  this  churcli  akme  is  the  body  of  Christ,  and 
that  tlie  good  are  both  really  and  nominally  a  church,  but  the 
wicked  only  nominally  :  that  the  wicked  and  hypocrites,  be- 
cause they  are  intermixed,  are  members  of  the  church  accord- 
ing to  its  external  signs,  j)rovided  they  are  not  excommunicated, 
but  that  they  are  not  members  of  the  body  of  Christ.  That  eccle- 
siastical rites,  which  are  called  ceremonies,  are  matters  of  in- 
difference {adiajy/iori),  and  that  they  are  not  the  worship  of 
God,  nor  a  part  of  the  worship  of  God ;  that  tlierefore  the 
churcli  is  at  liberty  to  institute,  change,  and  abrogate  them,  as, 
for  instance,  the  distinctions  of  vestments,  times,  days,  meats, 
and  the  like ;  and  that  therefore  one  church  ought  not  to  con- 
demn another  on  account  of  things  of  this  nature." 

Tlrese  are  the  doctrines  of  the  lleformed  Churcli  and  Religion 
in  the  abstract ;  but  those  which  are  taught  by  the  Schwengfel- 
d>:ins.  Pelagians,  Manichaeans,  Donatists,  Anabaptists,  Armin- 
ians,  Cin^lians,  Antitrinitarians,  Socinians,  Arians,  and,  at  this 
day,  by  the  Quakers  and  Moravians,  are  passed  over,  because 
tliey  are  reprobated  and  rejected  by  the  Keformed  Clmrch  ea 
heretical. 
23 


THE  APOCALYPSE. 


CHAPTEK  I. 


1.  The  Revelation  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  God  gave  unto 
him,  to  show  unto  his  servants  things  which  must  shortly  come 
to  pass ;  and  he  signified  [it]  sending,  by  his  angel,  to  his  ser- 
vant John, 

2.  Who  bore  witness  of  the  Word  of  God,  and  of  the  testi- 
mony of  Jesns  Christ,  whatsoever  things  he  saw. 

3.  Blessed  is  he  that  readeth,  and  they  that  hear,  the  words 
of  tlie  prophecy,  and  keep  those  things  which  are  written  there- 
in :  for  the  time  is  at  hand. 

4.  John  to  the  seven  churches  which  are  in  Asia :  Grace  be 
unto  you,  and  peace,  from  Him  who  is,  and  who  was,  and  who 
is  to  come ;  and  from  the  seven  spirits  which  are  before  liis 
throne ; 

5.  And  from  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  tlie  faithful  witness,  the 
first-begotten  from  the  dead,  and  the  prince  of  the  kings  of  the 
earth.  To  him  that  loved  us,  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in 
hie  blood, 

6.  And  hath  made  us  kings  and  priests  unto  God  and  his 
Father :  to  him  be  glory  and  might  for  ever  and  ever.     Amen. 

7.  Behold  he  cometh  with  clouds,  and  every  eye  shall  see 
him,  and  they  [also]  who  pierced  him :  and  all  the  tribes  of 
the  earth  shall  wail  because  of  him.     Even  so  ;  Amen. 

8.  I  am  the  Alpha  and  the  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the 
end,  saith  the  Lord,  who  is,  and  who  was,  and  who  is  to  come, 
the  Almighty. 

9.  I  John,  who  also  am  your  brother,  and  companion  in  trib- 
ulation, and  in  the  kingdom  and  patience  of  Jesus  Christ,  was 
in  the  island  called  Patmos,  for  the  Word  of  God,  and  for  the 
testimony  of  Jesus  Christ. 

10.  I  was  in  the  spirit  on  the  Lord's  day ;  and  I  heard  be- 
nind  me  a  great  voice,  as  of  a  trumpet, 

11.  Saying,  I  am  the«Alpha  and  the  Omega,  the  Fii-st  and 
the  Last:  and,  what  thou  seest,  write  in  a  book,  and  send  [it] 

24 


Chap,  i.]  THE   APOCALTrSE   BEVEALED. 

to  the  cliurchcs  wliicli  are  in  Asia  ;  unto  Epliesns,  and  unto 
Smyrna,  and  unto  rer*;;aTnos,  and  unto  Tliyatira,  and  unto 
Sartlis,  and  unto  Pliiladelphia,  and  unto  Laodicea. 

12.  And  I  turned  to  see  the  voice  that  spi)ke  with  me  :  Andj 
being  turned,  I  saw  seven  golden  candlesticks ; 

13.  And  in  the  midst  of  the  seven  candlesticks  one  like 
unto  the  Son  of  Man,  clothed  Avith  a  garment  down  to  the  foot, 
and  girt  about  the  ])aps  with  a  golden  girdle. 

14.  And  his  head  and  his  hairs  were  wdiite  as  wool  is  white, 
like  unto  snow  ;  and  his  eyes  were  as  a  flame  of  lire ; 

15.  And  his  feet  were  like  unto  fine  brass,  as  if  they  burned 
in  a  furnace ;  and  his  voice  as  the  voice  of  many  waters. 

16.  And  he  had  in  his  right  hand  seven  stars ;  and  out  of 
Ins  month  went  a  sharp  two-edged  sword  ;  and  his  face  was  as 
the  sun  shineth  in  his  power. 

17.  And  when  I  saw  him,  I  fell  at  his  feet  as  dead.  And 
he  laid  his  right  hand  upon  me,  saying  unto  me,  Fear  not ;  I 
am  the  First  and  the  Last ; 

18.  And  am  he  that  liveth,  and  was  dead  ;  and  behold  I  am 
alive  for  ever  and  ever.  Amen  :  and  I  have  the  keys  of  hell 
and  of  death. 

19.  Write  the  things  which  thou  hast  seen,  and  the  things 
which  are,  and  the  things  which  shall  be  hereafter. 

20.  The  mystery  of  the  seven  stars  which  thou  sawest  in  my 
right  hand,  and  the  seven  golden  candlesticks.  The  seven  stars 
are  the  angels  of  the  seven  churches ;  and  the  seven  candle- 
sticks, whicli  thou  sawest,  are  the  seven  churches. 


THE  SPIRITUAL  SENSE. 


The  Contents  of  the  whole  Chapter.  That  this  revelation 
is  from  the  Lord  alone,  and  that  it  will  be  received  by  those 
who  will  be  in  his  new  church,  which  is  the  New  Jerusalem, 
and  acknowledge  the  Lord  as  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth ; 
the  Lord  is  also  described  as  to  the  Word. 

TuE  Contents  of  each  Verse.  V.  1,  "The  Revelation  of 
Jesus  Christ,"  signifies  predictions  from  the  Lord  concerning 
himself  and  his  church,  what  the  latter  will  ])e  in  its  end,  and 
what  it  will  be  afterwards:  "Which  God  gave  unto  him  to 
show  unto  his  servants,"  signifies  for  the  use  of  those  who  are 
in  faith  originating  in  charity:  "Things  which  must  shortly 
come  to  })ass,"  si<^nifies  that  they  will  certainly  be,  lest  the 
church  perish :  "And  he  signified  [it],  sending,  by  his  angel,  to 
25 


THE   APOCALYl'SE   KEVEALED.  [Chap.  1 

his  servant  John,  signifies  the  things  which  are  revealed  from 
tlie  Lord  through  heaven,  to  those  who  are  in  the  good  of  life 
from  charity  and  its  faith:  v.  2,  "Who  bore  witness  of  the 
Word  of  God,  and  of  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Clirist,"  signifies 
who  from  tlie  heart,  and  so  in  the  light,  receive  divine  truth 
from  the  Word,  and  acknowledge  the  Lord's  Humanity  to  be 
divine  :  "  Whatsoever  things  he  saw,"  signifies  their  illustration 
in  all  the  things  which  are  in  this  revelation :  v.  3,  "  Blessed  is 
lie  that  readeth,  and  they  that  hear,  the  words  of  the  prophecy, 
and  keep  those  things  which  are  written  therein,"  signifies  the 
communion  of  those  with  the  angels  of  heaven,  wlio  live  accoi-d- 
ing  to  the  doctrines  of  the  New  Jerusalem :  "  For  the  time  is 
at  hand,"  signifies  that  the  state  of  the  church  is  such  that  it 
cannot  endure  any  longer,  so  as  to  have  conjunction  with  the 
Lord  :  v.  4,  "  John  to  the  seven  churches,"  signifies  to  all  who 
are  in  the  Christian  world  where  the  Word  is,  and  by  it  the 
Lord  is  known,  and  who  accede  to  the  church  :  "Which  are  in 
Asia,"  signifies  to  those  who  are  in  the  light  of  truth  from  the 
Word  :  "  Grace  be  unto  you,  and  peace,  signifies  divine  salu- 
tation :  "  From  Him  who  is,  and  who  was,  and  who  is  to  come," 
signifies  from  the  Lord  who  is  eternal  and  infinite,  and  who  is 
Jehovah :  "  And  from  the  seven  spirits  which  are  before  his 
throne,"  signifies  from  the  universal  heaven,  where  the  Lord  is 
in  his  divine  truth  :  v,  5,  "And  from  Jesus  Christ,"  signifies  the 
Divine  Humanity  :  "  Wlio  is  the  faithful  witness,"  signifies  that 
he  is  Divine  Truth  itself:  "  The  first-begotten  from  the  dead," 
signifies  that  he  is  Divine  Goodness  itself:  "And  the  prince  of 
the  kings  of  the  earth,"  signifies  from  whom  proceeds  all  truth 
originating  in  good  in  tlie  church  :  "  To  him  that  loved  us,  and 
washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  blood,"  signifies  who,  out  of  love 
and  mercy,  reforms  and  regenerates  men  by  his  divine  truths 
from  the  Word  :  v.  6,  "And  hath  made  us  kings  and  priests," 
signifies  who  gives  those  who  are  born  of  him,  that  is  regen- 
erated, to  be  in  wisdom  from  divine  truths,  and  in  love  from 
divine  goods :  "  Unto  God  and  his  Father,"  signifies,  and  so 
images  of  his  divine  wisdom  and  of  his  divine  love  :  "  To  him 
be  glory  and  might  for  ever  and  ever,"  signifies,  to  whom  alone 
belongs  divine  majesty  and  divine  omnipotence  to  eternity : 
"Amen,"  signifies  divine  confirmation  from  the  truth,  thus  from 
liimself:  v.  7,  "Behold,  he  conieth  with  clouds,"  signifies  that 
the  Lord  will  reveal  himself  in  tlie  literal  sense  of  the  Word, 
and  will  open  its  spiritual  sense  at  the  end  of  tlie  church  : 
"And  every  eye  shall  see  him,"  signifies  that  all  who  are  in  the 
understanding  of  divine  truth  from  affection  will  acknowledge 
him  :  "  And  they  [also]  who  pierced  him,"  signifies  that  they 
also  will  see  who  are  in  falses  in  the  church:  "And  all  the  tribes 
of  the  earth  shall  wail  because  of  him,"  signifies  that  this  will 
be  when  there  are  no  longer  any  goods  and  truths  in  the  church: 
26 


Chap,  i.]  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED. 

"Even  so,  Amen,"  siojnifies  divine  confirnuition  that  so  it  -will 
be:  V.  8,  "  I  am  the  Al])ha  and  the  (.)inej2^a,  the  beginning  and 
the  end,"  signifies  who  is  the  selt-snbsisting  and  the  only-snb- 
sisting  from  lirst  principles  to  nltimates,  from  whom  all  things 
proceed ;  thus,  who  is  the  self-subsisting  and  only-subsisting 
love,  the  self-subsisting  and  oidy-subsisting  wisdom,  and  the 
self-snbsisting  and  only-subsisting  liie  in  himself;  and  conse- 
quently the  self-subsisting  Creator,  Saviour,  and  Illuminator, 
from  himself,  and  thence  the  All  in  all  of  heaven  and  the 
church  :  "Saith  the  Lord,  who  is,  and  who  was,  and  who  is  to 
come,"  signitics,  who  is  eternal  and  infinite,  and  who  is  Jeho- 
vah: "The  Almighty,"  signifies,  who  is,  lives,  and  has  power 
from  himself,  and  who  governs  all  things  from  first  principles 
by  nltimates:  v.  9,  "I,  John,  who  also  am  your  brother,  and 
companion,"  signifies  those  w'ho  are  in  the  good  of  charity,  and 
thence  in  the  truths  of  faith  :  "  In  tribulation,  and  in  the  king- 
dom and  patience  of  Jesus  Christ,"  signifies,  which  in  the 
church  are  infested  by  evils  and  falses,  but  which  will  be  re- 
moved by  the  Lord  at  his  coming :  "  Was  in  the  isle  called 
Patraos,"  signifies  a  state  and  place  in  which  he  could  be  illu- 
minated :  "  For  the  Word  of  God,  and  for  the  testimony  of 
Jesus  Christ,"  signifies  that  divine  truth  from  the  Word  might 
be  received  at  heart  and  so  in  the  light,  and  that  the  Lord's 
Humanity  might  be  acknowledged  to  be  divine  :  v.  10,  "  I  was 
in  the  spirit  on  the  Lord's  day,"  signifies  a  spiritual  state  at  that 
time  from  divine  infiux  :  "And  I  heard  behind  me  a  great  voice 
as  of  a  trumpet,"  signifies  a  manifest  perception  of  divine  truth 
revealed  from  heaven:  v.  11,  "Saying,  I  am  the  Alpha  and 
the  Omega,  the  First  and  the  Last,"  signifies  who  is  the  self- 
subsistini^  and  the  only-subsisting  from  first  principles,  from 
whom  all  things  proceed,  &c.,  as  above  :  "And  what  thon  seest, 
write  in  a  book,"  signifies  that  it  may  be  revealed  to  posterity: 
"  And  send  to  the  churches  which  are  in  Asia,"  signifies  for 
those  who  are  in  the  Christian  world  who  are  in  the  light  of 
truth  from  tlie  Word  :  "  Unto  Ephesus,  and  nnto  Smyrna,  and 
unto  Pergamos,  and  unto  Thyatira,  and  unto  Sardis,  and  unto 
Philadelphia,  and  imto  Laodicea,"  signifies  specifically  accord- 
ing to  the  state  of  reception  of  each  :  v.  12,  "And  I  turned  to 
see  the  voice  that  spoKe  with  me,"  signifies  inversion  of  the 
state  of  those  who  are  in  good  of  life,  with  respect  to  the  per- 
ception of  truth  in  the  Word,  when  they  turn  themselves  to  the 
Lord  :  "And  being  turned,  I  saw  seven  golden  candlesticks," 
signifies  the  New  (Dhurch,  which  will  ])e  in  illustration  from  the 
Lord  out  of  the  Word  :  v.  13,  "And  in  the  midst  of  the  seven 
candlesticks  one  like  unto  the  Son  of  Man,"  signifies  the  Lord 
as  to  the  Word,  fi-om  whom  that  church  is  :  "  Clothed  with  a 
garment  down  to  the  foot,"  signifies  the  proceeding  divine  which 
IS  divine  truth  :  "And  girt  al)out  the  paps  with  a  golden  girdle," 
27 


THE    APOCAXYPSE   KEYEALED.  [Cliap.  1. 

signifies  the  proceeding,  and  at  the  same  time,  conjoining 
divine,  which  is  divine  good  :  v.  1-i,  "And  his  head  and  his 
hairs  were  white  as  M'OoI  is  white,  like  unto  snow,"  signifies  the 
divine  love  of  the  divine  wisdom  in  first  principles  and  in  ulti- 
mates :  "  And  his  eyes  wei-e  as  a  flame  of  fire,"  signifies  tlie 
divine  wisdom  of  the  divine  love  :  v.  15,  "And  his  feet  were 
like  unto  fine  brass,  as  if  they  burned  in  a  furnace,"  signifies 
divine  good  natural :  "And  his  voice  as  the  voice  of  many 
waters,"  signifies  divine  truth  natural :  v.  16,  "And  he  had  in 
liis  right  hand  seven  stars,"  signifies  all  knowledges  of  goodness 
and  truth  in  the  Word  from  him  :  "And  out  of  his  mouth  went 
a  sharp  two-edged  sword,"  signifies  the  dispersion  of  falses  by 
the  Word,  and  by  doctrine  thence  from  the  Lord :  "And  his 
face  was  as  the  sun  shinetli  in  his  power,"  signifies  the  Divine 
Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom,  which  are  himself,  and  proceed 
from  himself:  v.  17,  "And  when  I  saw  him,  I  fell  at  his  feet' as 
dead,"  signifies  a  defect  of  his  own  life  from  such  presence  of 
the  Lord  :  "And  he  laid  his  right  hand  upon  me,"  signifies  life 
then  inspired  from  him  :  "  Saying  unto  me,  Fear  not,"  signifies 
resuscitation,  and  at  the  same  time  adoration  from  the  most 
profound  humiliation  :  "  I  am  the  First  and  the  Last,"  signifies 
that  he  is  eternal  and  infinite,  therefore  the  only  God  :  v.  18, 
"And  am  he  that  livetli,"  signifies  who  alone  is  life,  and  from 
whom  alone  life  is:  "And  was  dead,"  signifies  that  he  was  neg- 
lected in  the  church,  and  his  Divine  Humanity  not  acknow- 
ledged :  "And  behold,  I  am  alive  for  ever  and  ever,"  signifies 
that  he  is  life  eternal :  "Amen,"  signifies  divine  confirmation 
that  this  is  truth  :  "And  I  have  the  keys  of  hell  and  death," 
signifies  that  he  alone  has  power  to  save  :  v.  19,  "  Write  the 
things  which  thou  hast  seen,  and  the  things  which  are,  and  the 
things  which  shall  be  hereafter,"  signifies  that  all  the  things 
whicli  are  now  revealed,  are  for  the  use  of  posterity  :  v.  20, 
"  The  mystery  of  the  seven  stars  which  thou  sawest  in  my  right 
hand,  and  the  seven  golden  candlesticks,"  signifies  arcana  in 
visions  concerning  the  new  heaven  and  the  new  church  :  "The 
seven  stars  are  the  angels  of  the  seven  churches,"  signifies  the 
new  church  in  the  heavens,  which  is  the  new  heaven  :  "  And 
the  seven  candlesticks  which  thou  sawest,  are  the  seven 
churches,"  signifies  the  New  Church  upon  earth,  which  is  the 
New  Jerusalem  descending  from  the  Lord  out  of  the  new 
heaven. 


98 


V.  1.]  THE  ArOCALYPSK  REVEALED.  1,  3 


THE  EXPLANATION. 

1.  "What  the  spiritual  sense  is,  lias  liitlierto  been  unknown. 
Tliat  there  is  such  a  sense  in  every  })articnhir  of  the  Word,  is 
shown  in  the  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the 
Sacred  Scriptures,  n.  5 — 26,  and  that  without  it,  the  Word  in 
many  })hices  cannot  be  understood  :  this  sense  docs  not  appear 
in  the  literal  sense,  for  it  is  in  it  as  the  soul  in  its  body.  It  is 
well  known,  that  there  is  what  is  spiritual,  and  what  is  natural, 
and  that  what  is  spiritual  flows  into  what  is  natural,  and  ren- 
ders itself  visible  and  sensible  in  those  forms  which  are  the 
objects  of  sight  and  touch,  and  that  what  is  spiritual,  without 
such  forms,  is  perceived  no  otherwise  than  as  affection  and 
thought,  or  as  love  and  wisdom  which  are  of  the  mind  :  that 
affection  and  thought,  or  love  whose  j)roperty  it  is  to  be  affected, 
and  wisdom  whose  property  it  is  to  think,  are  spiritual,  is 
acknowledged  ;  that  these  two  faculties  of  the  mind  show 
themselves  in  the  body  in  forms,  which  are  called  oi-gans  of 
sense  and  motion,  is  well  known  ;  also,  that  tliey  make  a  one, 
and  such  a  one  as  that  what  the  mind  thiid-cs,  that  the  mouth  in 
an  instant  speaks,  and  what  the  mind  wills,  tliat  the  body  in  an 
instant  does  ;  hence  it  is  evident,  that  there  is  a  perfect  union 
of  things  sj>iritual  and  natural  in  man.  It  is  the  same  with 
every  thing  in  the  world,  both  generally  and  particularly  ; 
there  is  in  them  something  spiritual,  which  is  the  inmost  of  the 
cause,  and  something  natural,  which  is  its  effect,  aiul  these  two 
make  a  one ;  and  what  is  spiritual  does  not  appear  in  M'hat  is 
natural,  because  it  dwells  in  it  as  the  soul  in  its  body,  and  as 
the  inmost  of  the  cause  in  the  effect,  as  was  observed  before. 
It  is  the  same  with  the  Word  ;  that  this  is  internally  spiritual, 
becaAise  it  is  divine,  cannot  be  denied  by  any  one  ;  but  as  what 
is  spiritual  does  not  appear  in  the  sense  of  the  letter,  which  is 
natural,  therefore  the  spiritual  sense  has  hitherto  been  un- 
known ;  nor  could  it  have  been  knoAvn  before  genuine  truths 
were  revealed  by  the  Lord,  for  in  these  that  sense  consists. 
For  this  reason  the  Apocalypse  has  not  been  understood  before. 
But  lest  any  doubt  should  remain,  that  such  things  are  con- 
tained in  it,  the  particulars  must  be  explained,  and  demonstrated 
by  similar  passages  in  other  parts  of  the  AVord.  The  explana- 
tion and  demonstration  now  follow, 

2.  The  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ,  signifies  predictions  from 
the  Lord  concerning  himself  and  his  church,  what  the  latter 
will  be  in  its  end,  and  what  it  will  be  afterwards,  as  well  in  the 
heavens  as  upon  earth.  By  the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ  are 
signified  all  predictions,  which  coming  from  the  Lord,  are 
called  the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ ;  that  they  relate  to  the 
Lord  and  his  church,  will  appear  from  the  explanations.     The 

2d 


3  THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.         [Chap,  i 

Apocalypse  does  not  treat  of  the  successive  states  of  the  church, 
much  less  of  the  successive  states  of  kingdoms,  as  some  have 
liitherto  believed,  but  from  beginning  to  end  it  treats  of  the  last 
state  of  the  church  in  heaven  and  earth ;  and  then  concerning 
the  last  judgment ;  and  after  this  the  New  Church,  whicli  is 
the  New  Jerusalem.  That  this  New  Churcli  is  the  end  and 
object  of  this  work,  is  very  evident,  wherefore  those  things 
which  are  first  mentioned  refer  to  the  state  of  the  church,  as  to 
its  quality  immediately  antecedent  to  its  appearance.  But  in 
what  series  these  matters  are  treated  of,  may  be  seen  from  the 
contents  of  each  chapter ;  and  more  distinctly  from  the  expla- 
nation of  each  particular  verse. 

3.  Which  God  gave  unto  him  to  show  unto  his  servants^  sig- 
nifies, for  those  who  are  in  faith  derived  from  charity,  or  in  truths 
of  wisdom  derived  from  the  good  of  love.  By  showing  is  sig- 
nified to  manifest,  and  by  servants  are  here  signified  those  who 
are  in  faith  derived  from  charity ;  to  them  these  things  are 
manifested,  because  they  understand  and  receive  them :  by 
servants,  in  a  spiritual  sense,  are  understood  those  who  are  in 
truths ;  and  because  truths  originate  in  good,  by  servants  are 
understood  those  who  are  in  truths  derived  from  good,  there- 
fore also,  those  who  are  in  wisdom  derived  from  love,  because 
wisdom  is  of  truth,  and  love  is  of  good  ;  also  those  who  are  in 
laith  derived  from  charity,  because  faith  also  is  of  truth  and 
charity  is  of  good ;  and  since  the  genuine  spiritual  sense  is 
abstracted  from  person,  therefore  in  it  by  servants  are  signified 
trullis.  Now  truths  being  subservient  to  good  by  their  teach- 
ing it,  therefore,  in  general,  and  properly,  by  servant,  in  the 
Word,  is  meant  what  is  subservient,  or  he  or  that  Vv'hich  serves  ; 
in  this  sense  not  only  the  prophets  are  called  the  servants  of 
God,  but  also  the  Lord  as  to  his  Humanity  j  that  the  prophets 
are  called  the  servants  of  God,  is  evident  from  the  following 
passages :  "  Jehovah  hath  sent  unto  you  all  his  servants  the 
prophets,"  Jer.  xxv.  4.  "  He  revealeth  his  secrets  unto  his  ser- 
vants the  prophets,"  Amos  iii.  7.  "  His  laws  which  he  set  before 
us  by  his  servants  the  prophets,"  Dan.  ix.  10  ;  and  Moses  is 
called  "  the  servant  of  Jehovah,"  Malachi  iii.  22  ;*  the  reason  is 
because  by  a  prophet  in  the  spiritual  sense  is  understood  truth  of 
doctrine,  as  explained  below.  And  because  the  Lord  was  di- 
vine truth  itself,  which  also  is  the  Word,  and  is  thence  called 
the  Prophet ;  and  served  in  the  world,  and  serves  all  to  eter- 
nity by  his  teaching,  therefore,  he  also,  in  many  places,  is 
called  the  servant  of  Jehovah;  as  in  the  following:  "He  shall 
Bee  of  the  travail  of  his  soul,  and  shall  be  satisfied ;  by  his 

*  In  tlve  Hebrew  Bible  there  are  only  three  chapters  in  Malachi,  and  as  our 
author  quotes  from  the  Hebrew  text,  it  may  be  necessary  to  observe,  that  thia 
text  in  our  version  is  chap.  iv.  4.  In  all  like  instances  we  shall  alter  it  to  th« 
Btate  of  the  English  text.  — Editoes. 

30 


V.  1.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  4 

knowledo-e  sliall  my  righteous  servuiit  justify  many,"  Isaiah 
liii.  11.  "  Behold,  my  servant  sliall  deal  [)rudently,  ho  shall  be 
exalted  and  extolled,  and  be  very  hii:i;h,"  I.-aiah  lii.  13.  ''  Be- 
hold, my  servant,  whom  I  uphold,  mine  elect,  in  whom  my 
soul  delighteth,  I  have  put  my  spirit  upon  him,"  Isaiah  xlii. 
1,  19;  this  is  spoken  of  the  Lord:  in  like  manner  David  is 
called  a  servant,  where,  by  him,  the  Lord  is  understood ;  as  in 
the  following  passages :  "  And  I  the  Lord  will  be  their  God, 
and  my  servant  David  a  prince  among  them,"  Ezek.  xxxiv.  24. 
'•  David,  my  servant,  shall  be  king  over  them,  that  they  all 
shall  have  one  shepherd,"  Ezek.  xxxvii.  24.  "  I  will  defend 
this  city  to  save  it,  for  mine  own  sake,  and  for  my  servant 
David's  sake,"  Isaiah  xxxvii.  35.  So  also  in  Psalm  Ixxviii.  70 — 
72,  Ixxxix.  3,  4,  20.  That  by  David  in  these  places  is  meant 
the  Lord,  may  be  seen  in  the  Doctriiu  of  the  JVeiv  Jerusalem, 
concerning  the  Lord,,  n.  43,  44.  The  Lord  himself  says  the 
same  of  himself:  "  AVhosoever  will  be  great  among  you,  let 
him  be  your  minister,  and  whosover  will  bo  chief  among  yon, 
let  him  be  your  servant,  even  as  the  Son  of  man  came  not  to 
be  ministered  unto,  but  to  minister,"  Matt.  xx.  20,  28,  Mark  x. 
43 — 45,  Luke  xxii.  27,  and  so  in  Luke  xii.  37.  This  the  Lord 
says,  because  by  servant  and  minister  is  understood  one  who 
serves  and  ministers  by  teaching,  and,  abstracted  from  person, 
divine  truth,  which  was  himself.  Since,  therefore,  by  servant 
is  undei-stood  he  who  teaches  divine  truth,  it  is  evident  that  by 
Bervants  in  this  place  in  the  Apocalypse  are  meant  those  who 
are  in  truths  derived  from  good,  or  in  faith  derived  from  char- 
ity, because  these  can  teacli  from  the  Lord,  that  is,  the  Lord 
can  teach  and  minister  by  them.  In  this  sense  they  are  called 
servants  in  Matthew :  "  In  the  consummation  of  the  age,  who 
then  is  a  faithful  and  wise  servant,  whom  his  Lord  hath  made 
ruler  over  his  household,  to  give  them  their  meat  in  due  season  : 
blessed  is  that  servant  whom  his  Lord  when  he  cometh  shall 
tind  so  doing,"  xxiv.  45.  And  in  Luke:  "Blessed  are  those 
Bervants,  whom  the  Lord  when  he  cometh  shall  iind  watching: 
verily,  I  say  unto  you,  that  he  shall  gird  himself,  and  make 
them  to  sit  down  to  meat,  and  will  come  forth  and  serve  them,'* 
xii.  37.  In  heaven  all  are  called  servants  of  the  Lord,  who  are 
in  his  spiritual  kingdom  ;  but  they  who  are  in  his  celestial 
kingdom  are  called  ministers ;  the  reason  is,  because  they  who 
are  in  his  spiritual  kingdom,  are  in  wisdom  from  divine  truth; 
and  they  who  are  in  his  celestial  kingdom  are  in  love  from 
divine  good  ;  and  good  ministers  and  truth  serves.  But  in  an 
opposite  sense,  by  servants  are  meant  those  who  serve  the  devil ; 
these  are  in  a  state  of  real  servitude ;  but  they  who  serve  the 
Lord  arc  in  a  state  of  liberty ;  as  the  Lord  also  teaches  in  John 
viii.  32—30. 

4.  Things  lohich  must  shortly  com^  to  pass,^  signifies  that 


5  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         [Chap.  i. 

they  will  ccrtainlj  be,  lest  the  church  perish.  By  coming  to 
pass  shortly,  is  not  meant  that  the  things  which  are  foretold  in 
the  Apocalypse,  will  happen  immediately  and  speedily,  but  cer- 
tainly ;  and  that  unless  they  do  happen  the  church  must  perish. 
In  the  divine  idea,  and  thence  in  the  spiritual  sense,  there  is  no 
time,  but  instead  of  time,  tliere  is  state;  and  because  shortly 
relates  to  time,  bj'  it  is  signified  certainly,  and  that  it  will  come 
to  pass  before  its  time ;  for  the  Apocalypse  was  given  in  the 
first  century,  and  since  that  seventeen  centuries  have  now 
elapsed,  from  which  it  is  evident,  that  by  shortly  is  signified 
that  which  corresponds  to  it,  and  that  is,  certainly.  The  like  is 
also  involved  in  these  words  of  the  Lord  :  "  Except  those  days 
should  be  shortened,  there  should  no  flesh  be  saved  ;  but  for  the 
elect's  sake,  those  days  shall  be  shortened,"  Matt.  xxiv.  22  :  by 
which  also  is  understood,  that  except  the  church  should  come 
to  an  end  before  its  time,  it  would  totally  perish  ;  in  that  chap- 
ter the  consummation  of  the  age  and  the  Lord's  coming  are 
treated  of;  and  by  the  consummation  of  the  age  is  meant  the 
last  state  of  the  old  chnrch,  and  by  the  Lord's  coming,  the  first 
state  of  the  new.  It  was  observed  that  in  the  divine  idea  there 
is  no  time,  but  a  presence  of  all  things  past  and  future ;  where- 
fore it  is  said  by  David,  "  A  thousand  years  in  thy  sight  are 
but  as  yesterday,"  Psalm  xc.  4 :  and  again,  "  I  will  declare  the 
decree,  Jehovah  hath  said  unto  me,  Thou  art  my  son,  this  day 
have  I  begotten  tliee,"  Psalm  ii.  7 :  this  day  denotes  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Lord's  advent.  Thence  also  it  is,  that  an  entire 
period  is  called  day  in  the  Word,  and  its  first  state  the  dawning 
and  the  morning,  and  its  last  evening  and  night. 

5.  And  he  signified  [«'?!],  sending  by  his  angel  to  his  servant 
John,  signifies  the  things  which  are  revealed  from  the  Lord 
through  heaven,  to  those  who  are  in  the  good  of  life  derived 
fj'om  charity  and  its  taith.  By  signified  [it],  sending  by  his 
angel,  in  the  spiritual  sense,  is  meant  things  revealed  from  hea- 
ven, or  through  heaven  from  the  Lord :  for  by  angel  in  the 
"Word  is  everywhere  understood  the  angelic  heaven,  and  in  a 
supreme  sense  the  Lord  himself;  the  reason  is,  because  no  angel 
ever  speaks  with  man  in  a  state  of  separation  from  lieaven  ;  for 
there  is  such  a  conjunction  of  each  individual  with  all  in  hea- 
ven, that  every  one  speaks  from  the  communion,  although  the 
angel  is  not  conscious  of  it :  for  heaven  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  is 
as  one  man,  whose  soul  is  the  Lord  himself;  wherefore  the  Lord 
speaks  with  man  through  heaven,  as  man  does  fi'om  his  soul 
through  his  body  with  another;  and  this  is  done  in  conjunction 
with  all  and  every  thing  of  his  mind,  in  the  midst  of  which  are 
the  things  which  he  speaks ;  but  this  arcanum  cannot  be  un- 
folded in  a  few  words ;  it  is  partly  unfolded  in  The  Angelio 
Wisdom  concerning  the  Dimne  Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom  : 
hence  it  is  evident,  that  by  angel  is  signified  heaven,  and  in 
82 


T.  'S.]  THE   APOCALYI'SE    liEV BALED.  6 

n  supreme  sense  tlie  Lord.  Tlie  reason  why  by  angel  tlie  Lord 
is  understood  in  a  supreme  sense,  is,  because  heaven  is  not  liea- 
veii  from  any  tiling  })roper  to  the  angels,  but  from  tiie  divine  of 
the  Lord,*  from  which  is  derived  their  love  and  vv^isdom,  yea 
their  life  ;  hence  it  is  that  the  Lord  himself  is  called  an  angel 
in  the  "Word.  From  these  considerations  it  appears  that  die 
angel  did  not  speak  from  himself  with  John  ;  but  the  Lord  out 
of  the  midst  of  heaven  by  him.  By  these  words  is  meant,  that 
this  is  revealed  to  those  who  are  in  the  good  of  life  derived 
from  charity  and  its  faith,  because  these  are  understood  by 
John;  Ibr  by  the  twelve  disciples  or  apostles  of  the  Lord,  are 
understood  all  who  are  of  the  cimrch  in  trntlis  from  good  ;  and 
in  an  abstract  sense,  all  things  of  tiie  church  ;  and  by  Peter,  all 
who  are  in  laith,  and,  abstractedly,  faith  itself;  by  James,  they 
who  are  in  charity,  and,  abstractedly,  charity  itself;  and  by 
John,  the}""  who  are  in  the  good  of  life  from  charity  and  its 
faith,  and,  abstractedly,  good  of  life  itself  derived  thence :  that 
these  things  are  meant  by  John,  James,  and  Peter  in  the  Word 
of  the  evangelists,  may  be  seen  in  a  Treatise  concerning  tht 
I^eio  Jerusalem  a.ul  its  ILamenly  Doctrine.,  n.  122.  Since  good 
of  life,  grounded  in  charity  and  its  faith,  constitutes  the  church, 
therelbre,  by  the  apostle  John  M^ere  revealed  the  arcana  con- 
cerning the  state  of  the  church  which  are  contained  in  hia 
visions.  That  by  all  the  names  of  persons  and  places  in  the 
AVord  are  signilied  things  of  heaven  and  the  church,  is  abun- 
dantly shown  in  the  Arcana  Coelestia.  From  these  couBidera- 
tions  it  may  appear,  that  by  signified  [it],  sending  by  his  angel 
to  his  servant  John,  is  understood,  in  the  spiritual  sense,  what 
is  revealed  by  the  Lord  through  heaven  to  those  who  are  in  the 
good  of  life  derived  from  charity  and  its  faith ;  for  charity  through 
faith  operates  good,  and  not  charity  by  itself,  nor  faith  by  itself. 
6.  ^VJio  hore  loitness  of  the  Wordof  God^  and  the  testimony 
of  Jesus  Christy  signifies  who,  from  their  heart,  and  so  in  the 
light,  receive  divine  truth  from  the  Word,  and  acknowledge  the 
Lord's  Humanity  to  be  divine.  It  is  said  of  John  that  he  ])ore 
witness  of  the  Word  of  God  ;  but  as  by  John  are  meant  all  who 
are  principled  in  good  of  life  from  charity  and  its  faith,  as  was 
said  above,  n.  5,  therefore  in  the  spiritual  sense  all  these  are 
understood  :  the  angels,  who  are  in  the  spiritual  sense  of  the 
Word,  never  know  any  name  of  a  person  mentioned  in  the 
AVord.  but  oidy  that  which  the  person  represents  and  thence 
signifies,  which,  instead  of  John,  is  good  of  life,  or  good  in  act; 
consequently  all  in  the  aggregate  who  are  in  that  good  :  these 
witness,  that  is,  see,  acknowledge,  receive  cordially  in  light,  and 
confess  the  truths  of  the  Word,  especially  tiiat  truth  therein 

•  Tke  words  of  our  author,  Divino  Domini,  may  require  tlio  terms  sphere,  or 
inf Hence,  or  Holy  Spirit,  to  pive  them  tlicir  full  meaning:  which  the  fHli^llisent 
reader  onn  dnpplv,  or  not,  as  he  thinks  best. 

33  o 


T  THE    APOCALYPSE   EEVEALED.  [Cliap.  1. 

that  the  Lord's  Humanity  is  divine  ;  which  may  appear  from 
the  passages  quoted  from  tlie  AVord  in  great  ahimdance  in  the 
Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Lord.  By  Jesus 
Christ  and  by  the  Lamb  in  the  Apocalypse  is  understood,  the 
Lord  as  to  the  Divine  Humanity,  and  by  God,  the  Lord  as  to 
his  Divinity,  from  which  are  all  things.  With  regard  to  the 
spiritual  signitication  of  witnessing  or  testifying,  tliis  is  predi- 
cated of  truth,  because  in  the  world  the  truth  is  to  be  testified 
or  witnessed,  and  when  it  is  testified,  it  is  acknowledged ;  but 
in  heaven  truth  testifies  of  Itself  because  it  is  itself  the  light  of 
lieaven  ;  for  when  the  angels  hear  the  truth,  they  instantly 
know  and  acknowledge  it ;  and  because  the  Lord  is  truth  itself, 
as  he  himself  teaches  in  John  xiv.  6,  he  is  in  heaven  the  testi- 
mony of  himself;  hence  it  may  appear,  what  is  meant  by  the 
testimony  of  Jesus  Christ;  wherefore  the  Lord  saith,  "Ye  sent 
unto  John,  and  he  bare  witness  unto  the  truth  ;  but  I  receive 
not  testimony  from  man,"  John  v.  33 ;  and  in  another  place : 
"  John  came  for  a  witness,  to  bear  witness  of  the  light ;  he  was 
not  that  light ;  the  AVord  which  was  with  God,  and  was  God, 
and  was  made  flesh,  was  the  true  light,  which  lighteth  every 
man,"  John  i.  1,  2,  7,  8,  14,  34 ;  and'in  another  place :  "  Jesus 
said.  Though  I  bare  record  of  myself,  yet  my  record  is  true,  for 
1  know  whence  I  came,  and  whither  I  go,"  John  viii.  14. 
"  When  the  Comforter  is  come,  even  the  spirit  of  truth,  he  shall 
testify  of  me,"  John  xv.  26;  by  the  Comforter,  the  spirit  of 
truth,  is  meant  the  truth  itself  proceeding  from  the  Lord,  where- 
fore it  is  said  of  him,  that  he  will  not  speak  from  himself,  but 
from  the  Lord,  John  xvi.  13,  14,  15. 

7.  Whatsoever  things  he  saw,  signifies  their  illumination  in 
all  the  things  which  are  in  this  revelation.  By  whatsoever 
things  he  saw,  in  the  spiritual  sense,  are  not  meant  the  things 
which  John  saw,  for  they  were  only  visions,  but  the  things 
which  they  sfee  who  are  understood  by  John,  who  are  such  as 
are  principled  in  good  of  life,  grounded  in  charity  and  its  faith, 
^as  was  said  above  ;  these  see  in  the  visions  of  John,  arcana  coni- 
cepiing  the  state  of  the  church,  not  so  much  when  they  read 
themselves,  but  when  they  see  them  revealed.  To  see  signifies 
to  understand  ;  on  this  account  in  common  discourse  it  is  said, 
that  any  one  sees  a  thing,  and  that  he  sees  that  it  is  a  truth  ; 
for  sight  pertains  as  much  to  a  man's  spirit  as  to  his  body ;  but 
man  with  his  spirit  sees  spiritual  things,  because  from  the  light 
of  heaven,  but  with  his  body  he  sees  natural  things,  because 
this  sees  from  the  light  of  tlie  world  ,  and  s])iritual  things  are 
real  things,  but  natural  things  are  their  forms:  it  is  the  spiritual 
sight  of  man  which  is  called  intellect.  It  is,  therefore,  evident 
what  is  meant,  in  the  spiritual  sense,  by  whatsoever  things  he 
saw ;  in  like  manner  in  what  follows,  where  it  is  said  that  he 
saw  them 
34 


7.  3.J  TIIE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  8 

8.  Blessed  is  he  that  readeth^  and  the//  that  hear  the  words 
of  the  prophecy^  and  Tceep  those  things  lohich  are  written  there- 
in,, si<!;iiitios  tlie  coiniminiou  of  tliose  with  tlio  ancjels  of  heaven, 
who  live  acconhng  to  the  doctrines  of  the  Xew  Jerusalem.  By 
blesoed,  is  here  meant  one  who,  as  to  his  spirit,  is  in  lieaven  ; 
thus,  one  who,  while  he  lives  in  the  world,  is  in  communion 
with  the  angels  of  heaven:  for  such  a  one,  as  to  his  spirit,  is  in 
heaven  ;  hy  the  words  of  tliis  ]>rophecy  nothing  else  is  UTider- 
stood  than  the  doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  for  by  prophet, 
in  an  alistract  sense,  is  signitied  the  doctrine  of  the  church  de- 
rived from  the  Word,  tiius  here  the  doctrine  of  the  jN^ew  Church, 
M'hich  is  the  New  Jerusalem ;  the  same  is  signified  by  prophecy. 
By  reading,  hearing,  and  keeping  the  things  Avhich  are  written 
therein,  is  signified,  to  desire  to  know  that  doctrine;  to  attend 
to  the  things  which  are  written  in  it,  and  to  do  them ;  in  short, 
to  live  according  to  it :  that  they  are  not  blessed  who  only  read, 
iiear  and  keep  or  retain  in  the  memory  the  things  wdiicli  were 
seen  by  John,  is  clear,  see  below,  n.  9i-i.  The  reason  \Vhy  pro- 
phet signifies  the  doctrine  of  the  church  derived  from  the  Word, 
and  prophecy  the  same,  is,  because  the  Word  was  written  by 
prophets,  and  in  heaven  a  person  is  regarded  according  to  that 
which  belongs  to  his  function  and  office;  according  to  this, 
also,  is  every  man,  spirit,  and  angel,  named  in  heaven  ;  where- 
fore, when  the  word  prophet  is  used,  his  function  being  to  write 
and  teach  the  Word,  the  AVord  is  understood  as  to  doctrine,  or 
doctrine  derived  froiw  the  Word.  Hence  it  is,  that  the  Lord, 
being  the  Word  itself,  was  called  a  prophet,  Deut.  xviii.  15 — 
20,  Matt.  xiii.  57,  chap.  xxi.  1,  Luke  xiii.  33.  To  show,  that  by 
prophet  is  meant  doctrine  of  the  church  derived  from  the  AYord, 
some  passages  sliall  be  adduced,  from  which  this  may  be  col- 
lected. In  Matthew:  "  In  the  consummation  of  the  age  many 
false  2>^'ophets  shall  arise,  and  shall  deceive  many.  Tliere  shall 
arise  false  Christs  and  false  prophets,,  and,  if  it  were  possible, 
they  shall  deceive  the  very  elect,"  xxiv.  11,  21: ;  the  consum- 
mation of  tho  age  is  the  last  time  of  the  church,  which  is  at 
hand,  when  there  are  not  false  prophets,,  but  false  princij)lci^)f 
doctrine.  In  the  same  :  "  He  that  receiveth  a  prophet  in  Tlie 
name  of  a  pyrophet,,  shall  receive  a  propheCs  reward ;  and  he 
that  receiveth  a  righteous  man  in  the  name  of  a  righteous  man, 
shall  receive  a  righteous  man's  reward,"  x.  41 ;  to  receive  a 
prophet  in  the  name  of  a  pruphet,  is  to  receive  tlie  doctrine  of 
truth  because  it  is  true  :  and  to  receive  a  righteous  man  in  tlie 
luinie  of  a  righteous  man,  is  to  receive  good  for  the  sake  of 
good  ;  and  to  receive  a  reward,  is  to  be  saved  according  to  re- 
ception; it  is  evident  that  no  one  receives  a  reward,  or  is  saved, 
because  he  receives  a  prophet  and  a  righteous  man  in  the  name 
of  sr.ch.  Those  words  cannot  be  understood  by  any  one,  with- 
out knowing  what  a  prophet  and  a  righteous  man  signify 
35 


b  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Cliap.  i. 

Reither  can  the  following:  "That  whosoever  shall  give  to  drink 
unto  one  of  these  little  ones  a  cup  of  cold  water  only,  in  the 
name  of  a  disciple,  shall  in  no  wise  lose  his  reward  ;"  by  dis- 
ciple is  understood  charity,  and  at  the  same  time  faith  from  the 
Lord,  In  Joel :  "  I  will  pour  out  my  spirit  upon  all  flesh,  and 
your  sons  and  your  daughters  shall  ^j)/'^^^^?*^,"  chap.  ii.  28  ; 
8]ieaking  of  the  church  M-hich  was  to  be  established  by  tlie 
Lord,  in  which  they  would  not  prophesy,  but  receive  doctrine, 
which  is  to  prophesy.  In  Matthew  :  "  Jesus  said.  Many  will 
Bay  to  me  in  that  day,  Lord,  Lord,  have  we  not  prophesied  in 
thy  name  ?  but  then  will  I  profess  unto  them,  I  never  knew  you  ; 
depart  from  me,  ye  that  work  iniquity,"  chap.  vii.  22,  23  ;  who 
does  not  see,  that  they  would  not  say  that  they  have  prophesied, 
but  that  they  knew  the  doctrine  of  the  church,  and  taught  it  ? 
In  the  Apocalypse  :  "  The  time  is  come  that  the  dead  should  be 
judged,  and  that  thou  shouldest  give  reward  unto  thy  servants 
the  prophets,''^  chap.  xi.  18;  and  in  another  place,  "Rejoice 
over  her,  thou  heaven,  and  ye  holy  apostles  and  prophets,  for 
God  hath  avenged  yon  on  her,"  chap,  xviii.  20  :  that  a  rewaixi 
would  not  be  given  to  the  prophets  alone,  and  that  the  apostles 
and  prophets  would  not  alone  rejoice  at  the  last  judgment,  is 
evident ;  but  all  who  have  received  truths  of  doctrine,  and  have 
lived  according  to  them  j  these,  therefore,  are  understood  by 
apostles  and  prophets,  feo  in  Moses :  "  Jehovah  said  unto 
Moses,  See,  I  have  made  thee  a  god  of  Pharaoh,  and  Aaron 
thy  brother  shall  be  tliy  prophet,''''  Exod.  vii.  1 :  by  God  is 
understood  divine  trutli  as  to  reception  from  the  Lord,  in  which 
sense  the  angels  are  also  called  gods,  and  by  prophet  is  under- 
stood one  wlio  teaches  and  utters  it,  therefore  Aaron  is  here 
called  a  prophet.  The  same  Ms  signifled  by  prophet  in  other 
places,  as  in  the  following  :  "  The  law  shall  not  perish  from  the 
pviest,  nor  counsel  from  the  wise,  nor  the  "Word  from  tlie  pro- 
phet,''^ Jerem.  xviii.  18.  "From  the  prophets  of  Jerusalem  is 
profaneness  gone  forth  into  all  the  land,"  Jerem.  xxiii.  15. 
"  The  prophets  shall  become  wind,  and  the  Word  is  not  in 
tlj%n,"  Jerem.  v.  13.  "The  priest  and  the  pi^ophet  liave  erred 
through  strong  drink,  they  are  swallowed  up  of  wine,  they 
stumble  in  judgment,"  Isaiah  xxviii.  7.  "The  sun  shall  go 
down  over  ihQ prophets,  and  the  day  shall  be  dark  over  them," 
Micah  iii.  0.  "  From  the  prophet  even  unto  the  priest,  every 
one  dealcth  ftilsely,"  Jerem.  viii.  10  ;  in  these  passages,  by  pro- 
phets and  priests,  in  the  spiritual  sense,  are  not  meant  prophets 
and  priests,  but  the  universal  church ;  by  prophets,  the  church 
as  to  truth  of  doctrine,  and  by  priests,  the  church  as  to  good 
of  life,  both  which  were  destroyed ;  these  things  are  so  under- 
stood by  the  angels  in  heaven  ;  while,  by  men  in  the  world, 
they  are  understood  according  to  the  sense  of  the  letter.  That 
the  ]>rophets  represented  the  state  of  the  churcli  as  to  doctrine. 
36 


V.  3,  4.J  THE    ArOCALYI'SE    KEVEALED.  'J,  10 

and  that  the  Lord  represented  it  as  to  the  "Word  itself,  may  be 
*«een  in  Tlie  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  th6 
Lord,  11.  15 — 17. 

9.  F'or  the  time  is  at  hand,  signifies  tliat  the  state  of  the 
church  is  such,  that  it  cannot  endure  any  longer,  so  as  to  he  in 
conjunction  with  the  Lord.  There  are  two  essentials  by  which 
conjunction  with  the  Lord,  and  thence  salvation  is  effected,  the 
acknowledgment  of  one  God,  and  repentance  of  life  /  but  at  tiiie 
day,  instead  of  tne  acknowledgment  of  one  God,  there  is  an 
acKnowledgment  of  three,  and  instead  of  repentance  of  life, 
the^'e  is  only  an  oral  confession  of  sin ;  and  by  these  two  there 
is  not  any  conjunction  :  unless,  therefore,  a  new  church  should 
arise,  which  acknowledges  these  two  essentials,  and  lives  accord- 
ingly, no  one  can  be  saved  ;  on  account  of  this  danger  the  time 
is  shortened  b}""  the  Lord,  according  to  his  own  words  in  Mat- 
thew :  "For  then  shall  be  great  tribulation,  such  as  was  not 
since  the  beginning  of  the  world  to  this  time,  no,  nor  ever  shall 
be;  and  except  those  days  should  be  shortened,  there  should  be 
no  flesh  saved,"  xxiv.  21,  22.  That  nearness  of  time,  or  its 
being  at  hand,  is  not  understood,  may  be  seen  below,  n.  9i7. 

10.  John  to  the  seven  churches,  signifies  to  all  who  are  in 
the  Christian  world  where  the  Word  is,  and  by  it  the  Lord  is 
known,  and  who  accede  to  the  church.  By  the  seven  churches 
are  not  to  be  understood  seven  churches,  but  all  who  are  of  the 
church  in  the  Christian  world  ;  for  numbers,  in  the  Word,  sig- 
nify things,  and  seven,  all  things  and  all,  and  thence,  also,  what 
is  full  and  perfect,  and  it  occurs  in  the  Word  where  any  thiii^ 
holy  is  treated  of,  and,  in  an  op})osite  sense,  where  it  treats  ot 
any  thing  profane  ;  consequently,  this  number  involves  what  is 
holy,  and,  in  an  opposite  sense,  what  is  profane.  The  reason 
why  numbers  signify  things,  or  rather  resemble  certain  adjec- 
tives to  substa:itives  denoting  some  quality  in  things,  is,  because 
number  is,  in  itself,  natural ;  for  natural  things  are  determined 
by  numl)ers,  but  spiritual  things  by  things  and  their  states: 
therefore,  he  who  is  ignorant  of  the  signification  of  numbers  in 
the  Word,  and  especially  in  the  Apocalypse,  must  be  ignorant 
of  many  arcana  which  are  contained  therein.  Now,  since  seven 
signifies  all  things  and  all,  it  may  appear  that  by  seven  churches 
are  meant  all  who  are  in  the  Christian  world  where  the  AVord 
is,  and  where  consequently  the  Lord  is  known  :  these,  if  they 
live  according  to  the  Lord's  precepts  in  the  Word,  constitute 
the  true  church.  For  this  reason  the  sabbath  was  instituted 
on  the  seventh  day,  and  the  seventh  year  was  called  the  Sabba- 
tarian year;  and  the  seven  times  seventh  year  the  jubilee,  by 
which  was  signified  every  thing  holy  in  the  church :  fur  this 
cause,  also,  a  week,  in  Daniel,  and  elsewhere,  signifies  an  entire 

¥eriod,  from  beginning  to  end,  and  is  predicated  of  the  church, 
he  same  is  signified  by  seven  in  the  following  passages:  as, 
37 


10  THE   APOCALYrSE   KEVEALED.  [Chap,  li 

By  tlie  seven  golden  candlesticks,  in  the  midst  of  which  was  one 
like  nnto  the  Son  of  Man,  Apoc.  i.  13.  By  the  seven  stars  in 
his  right  hand,  Apoc.  i.  16,  20.  By  the  seven  spirits  of  God, 
Apoc.  i.  4 ;  iv.  5.  By  the  seve7i  lamps  of  fire,  Apoc.  iv.  5.  By 
the  seven  angels,  to  whom  were  given  seve7i  trumpets,  Apoc. 
viii.  2.  By  the  sevenangeh  having  the  seven  last  plagues,  Apoc. 
XV.  6.  By  the  seven  vials  full  of  the  seven  last  plagues,  Apoc. 
xvi.  1  ;  xxi.  9.  By  the  seven  seals  with  which  the  book  was 
sealed,  Apoc.  v.  1.  In  like  manner  in  the  following  places : 
That  their  hands  should  be  filled  seven  days,  Exod.  xxix.  35. 
That  they  should  be  sanctified  seven  days,  Exod.  xxix,  37.  That 
when  they  were  consecrated  they  should  go  clothed  in  the  holy 
garments  seven  days,  Exod.  xxix.  30.  That  they  were  not  to 
go  out  of  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  seven  days,  when  the}^  w^ere 
initiated  into  the  priesthood,  Levit.  viii.  33,  35.  That  an  atone- 
ment was  to  be  made  seve7i  times  upon  the  horns  of  the  altar, 
Levit.  xvi.  18, 19.  That  the  altar  was  to  be  sanctified  with  oil 
seven  times,  Levit.  viii.  11.  That  the  blood  was  to  be  sprinkled 
seven  times  before  the  vail,  Levit.  iv.  16,  17.  And  also  seven 
times  towards  the  east,  Levit.  xvi.  12 — 15.  That  the  water 
of  separation  was  to  be  sj)rinkled  seven  times  towards  the 
tabernacle,  Numbers  xix.  4.  That  the  passover  was  celebrated 
seven  days  ;  and  unleavened  bread  was  eaten  seven  days,  Exod. 
xii.  15  ;  Deut.  xvi.  4 — 7.  In  like  manner,  that  the  Jews  were 
to  be  punished  seven  times  more  for  their  sins,  Levit.  xxvi.  18, 
21,  24,  28.  Wherefore  David  saith.  Render  unto  our  neigh- 
bour seven-fold  into  their  bosom.  Psalm  Ixxix.  12.  Seven-fold 
is  fully.  Likewise  in  these  places :  "  The  words  of  Jehovah  are 
pure  words,  as  silver  tried  in  a  furnace  of  earth,  purified  seven 
times,"  Psalm  xii.  6.  "The  hungry  ceased,  so  that  the  barren 
hath  borne  seve7i,  and  she  that  hath  many  children  is  waxed 
feeble,"  1  Sajn.  ii.  5.  The  barren  is  the  church  of  the  Gentiles, 
who  had  not  the  Word ;  she  that  had  many  children  is  the 
church  of  the  Jews,  who  had  the  Word.  "  She  who  hath  borne 
seven  languisheth,  she  hath  given  up  the  ghost,"  Jerem.  xv.  9. 
In  like  manner:  "They  that  dwell  in  the  cities  of  Israel  shall 
go  forth  and  set  on  fire  and  burn  the  weapons,  and  they  shall 
burn  them  with  fire  seven  years :  they  shall  bury  Gog,  and 
seve7i  months  shall  they  be  cleansing  the  land,"  Ezek.  xxxix.  9, 
12.  "  The  unclean  spirit  will  take  with  him  seve?i  spirits  more 
wicked  than  himself,"  Matt.  xii.  45.  Profanation  is  here  de- 
scribed, and  by  the  seven  spirits  with  which  he  would  return, 
are  signified  all  falses  of  evil ;  thus  a  plenary  or  total  extinc- 
tion of  goodness  and  truth.  By  the  seven  heads  of  the  dragon, 
and  the  seven  crowns  upon  his  head,  Apoc.  xii.  3,  is  signified 
the  profanation  of  all  goodness  and  truth.  It  is  evident  from 
what  has  been  said,  that  seven  involves  what  is  holy  or  jn-ofane, 
and  signifies  all  things  and  fuhiess. 
38 


V.   4.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  UKVEALKD.  11,  12 

11.  Which  are  in  Asia,  signifies,  to  those  who  are  in  the 
light  of  truth  from  the  Word.  Since,  by  all  the  names  of  |)er- 
8ons  and  ])laces  in  the  Word,  things  of  lieaven  and  the  chnrch 
are  nnderstood,  as  was  before  observed  ;  so,  therefore,  Asia  and 
the  names  of  the  seven  churches  therein,  signify  the  same,  as 
will  ap])ear  from  what  follows.  The  reason  why  they  who  are 
in  the  light  of  truth  from  the  Word,  are  understood  by  Asia,  is, 
because  the  most  ancient  church,  and,  after  it,  the  ancient, 
and  then  the  Israelitish  chnrch,  were  established  in  Asia ;  also, 
because  the  ancient  Word,  and,  after  it,  the  Israelitish  Word, 
was  among  them  ;  and  all  the  light  of  truth  comes  from  the 
AV^ord.  That  the  ancient  churches  were  in  Asia,  and  that  a 
Word  which  was  afterwards  lost,  and  lastl}^  the  Word  which 
is  extant  at  this  day,  was  among  them,  may  be  seen  in  The 
Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalein  concerning  the  Sacred  Scrip- 
ture, n.  101,  102,  103.  On  this  account  it  is,  that  by  Asia  are 
here  signified  all  who  are  in  the  light  of  truth  from  the  AVord. 

"Concerning  this  ancient  Word,  which  was  extant  in  Asia 
before  the  Israelitish  Word,  it  is  worth  while  to  mention,  that 
it  is  still  preserved  among  the  people  who  inhabit  Great  Tartary ; 
I  have  conversed  with  spirits  and  angels  in  the  spiritual  world 
M'ho  came  thence,  who  said  that  the}^  possess  a  AVord,  and  have 
possessed  it  from  ancient  times ;  and  that  in  conformity  to  this 
Word,  their  divine  worship  is  established  ;  and  that  it  consists 
of  mere  correspondences :  they  said  that  it  contains  the  book 
of  Jasher,  which  is  mentioned  in  Joshua  x.  12, 13,  and  2  Sam. 
i.  17,  18,  and  also,  that  they  possess  the  books  mentioned  by 
Moses,  as  The  Wars  of  Jehovah  and  the  Proj)heticals,  Num. 
xxi.  14,  15,  and  27 — 30;  aiid  when  I  read  to  them  the  words 
quoted  thence  by  Moses,  they  examined  whether  they  were 
extant  there,  and  found  them:  from  which  circumstance  it  is 
very  clear  to  me  that  the  old  AVprd  is  still  preserved  among 
them.  In  the  course  of  the  conversation,  they  said  that  they 
worship  Jehovah,  some  as  an  invisible,  and  some  as  a  visible 
God.  Moreover  they  related  that  they  do  not  suffer  foreigners 
to  come  among  them,  except  the  Chinese,  with  whom  they  cul- 
tivate peace,  because  the  emperor  of  China  is  from  their  coun- 
try ;  and  further,  that  they  are  so  populous,  that  they  do  not 
believe  any  country  in  the  world  to  be  more  so;  whicli  is  very 
credible  from  the  wall  so  many  miles  long,  which  the  Chinese 
formerly  built  as  a  defence  against  any  invasion  from  them. 
Seek  for  it  in  China,  and  peradventure  you  may  find  it  there 
among  the  Tartars." 

12.  Grace  he  unto  yon  and  peace,  signifies  divine  salutation. 
AYhat  is  understood  specifically  by  grace  and  peace,  will  be  ex- 
plained in  what  follows;  that  "•peace  be  unto  you"  was  the 
Lord's  salutation  to  his  disciples,  thus  the  divine  salutation., 
may  be  seen  in  Luke  xxiv.-36,  37;  John  xx.  19,  20,  21;  and 


13,  14  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         [Ch.ip.  1. 

by  command  of  the  Lord,  it  was  the  salutation  of  the  disciplea 
to  all  to  whom  they  should  enter  in.  Matt.  x.  11 — 13. 

13.  From  him  who  is,  who  was,  and  is  to  come,  sifjnifies, 
from  the  Lord  who  is  eternal  and  infinite,  and  who  is  Jehovah. 
That  it  is  the  Lord,  appears  clearly  from  what  follows  in  this 
chapter,  where  it  is  said  that  he  heard  a  voice  from  the  Son  of 
Man,  saying,  "  I  am  the  Alpha  and  the  Omega,  the  First  and 
the  Last,"  verse  11,  13;  and  afterwards,  "I  am  the  First  and 
the  Last,"  verse  17  ;  and  in  the  following  chapter,  verse  8;  and 
afterwards,  chap,  xxi,  6;  xxii.  12;  and  in  Isaiah:  "  Thus  saith 
Jehovah,  the  King  of  Israel,  and  his  Redeemer  Jehovah  of 
Hosts  :  I  am  the  1  irst,  and  I  am  the  Last,  and  beside  me  there 
is  no  God,"  xliv.  6  ;  also  xlviii.  12  ;  and  he  who  is  the  First 
and  the  Last,  is  he  who  is,  and  who  was,  and  who  is  to  come. 
This  also  is  to  be  understood  by  Jehovah;  for  the  name  of  Je- 
hovah signifies  is,  and  he  who  is,  or  who  is  esse  itself,  tlie  same 
is  also  he  who  was,  and  is  to  come,  for  in  him  the  past  and  the 
future  are  present ;  hence  he  is  without  time  eternal,  and  with- 
out place  infinite :  this  also  is  acknowledged  by  the  church  in 
the  Doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  called  Athanasian,  in  whicli  are 
these  words:  "The  Father  is  eternal  and  infinite,  the  Son  is 
eternal  and  infinite,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  is  eternal  and  infinite; 
but  yet  there  are  not  three  eternals  and  infinites,  but  one;" 
that  this  one  is  the  Lord,  is  demonstrated  in  The  Doctrine  of 
the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Lord. 

14.  Andfroin  the  seven  spirits  which  are  hefore  his  throne, 
signifies,  from  the  universal  heaven  where  the  Lord  is  in  his 
divine  truth,  and  where  his  divine  truth  is  received.  By  seven 
spirits  are  meant  all  who  are  in  divine  truth,  and,  in  an  abstract 
sense,  the  divine  true  or  divine  truth  itself;  that  seven  in  the 
Word  means  all  and  every  thing,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  10;  and 
that  by  throne  is  understood  the  universal  heaven,  will  be  seen 
presently  ;  therefore  by  being  before  his  throne,  is  meant  where 
his  divine  truth  is  ;  for  heaven  is  not  heaven  from  any  thing 
proper  to  the  angels,  but  from  the  divine  of  the  Lord,  as  is 
fully  shown  in  The  Angelic  Wisdom  concerning  the  Divine  Pro- 
vidence and  the  Divine  Love.  That  the  Lord's  throne  signifies 
lieaven,  is  evident  from  the  following  passages:  "Thus  saith 
.lehovali,  Heaven  is  my  throne,''^  Isaiah  Ixvi.  1.  "Jehovah 
hath  prepared  his  thronein  the  heavens,"  Psalm  ciii.  19.  "He 
that  swearetli  by  heaven,  sweareth  by  the  throne  of  God,  and 
by  him  that  sitteth  thereon,"  Matt,  xxiii.  22.  "  Above  the  fir- 
mament that  was  over  the  heads  of  the  cherubim,  was  the  like- 
jiess  of  a  throne,  as  the  appearance  of  a  sapphire  stone,  and 
upon  it  the  likeness  as  the  appearance  of  a  man,"  Ezek.  i.  26 ; 
X.  1 ;  by  the  firmament  over  the  heads  of  the  cherubim,  is 
meant  heaven ;  .and  in  the  Apocalypse  :  "  To  him  that  over- 
vjometh,  will  I  grant  to  sit  with  me  in  m.y  throne,'^  iii.  21 ;  in 

40 


V.  i,   5.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  15 — 17 

my  tlirone,  is  in  heaven  ;  speciiically,  where  his  divine  truth 
reigns;  thus  also,  where  judgment  is  treated  of,  it  is  said,  that 
the  Lord  will  sit  upon  a  throne,  for  judgment  is  performed  by 
truths. 

15.  And  from,  Jesus  Christy  signities  the  Divine  Humanity. 
That  by  Jesus  Christ  and  by  the  Lamb  in  the  "Word,  is  meant 
the  Lord  as  to  his  Divine  Humanity,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  6. 

16.  TF/dC  is  the  faithful  witness^  signities  that  he  is  Divine 
Trutli  itself.  That  witness  is  predicated  of  truth,  and  that  the 
truth  testifies  of  itself,  thus  the  Lord,  who  is  Divine  Truth  itself, 
and  the  Word,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  6. 

17.  The  first-begotten  from  the  dead,  signifies  that  he  is 
Divine  Goodness  itself.  AVhat  the  first-begotten  from  the  dead 
means,  no  one  as  yet  knows ;  even  the  ancients  disputed  about 
the  signification  of  it :  tliey  knew  that  by  first-begotten  is  sig- 
nified. Avhat  is  first  and  primary,  from  which  is  the  all  of  the 
church  ;  and  it  was  believed  by  many,  that  it  was  truth  in  doc- 
trine and  in  faith  ;  but  by  few,  that  it  was  truth  in  act  and  oper- 
ation, which  is  good  of  life.  That  this  is  the  first  and  primary 
of  the  church,  and  thence  in  a  strict  sense  is  meant  by  first- 
begotten,  will  be  seen  presently  ;  but  first  something  shall  be  said 
on  the  o])inion  of  those  who  believed,  that  truth  in  doctrine  and 
in  faith  is  the  first  and  primary  of  the  church,  thus  the  first- 
begotten.  They  believed  this,  because  it  is  first  learnt,  and  be- 
cause a  church  is  a  church  by  virtue  of  truth,  though  not  before 
it  forms  a  part  of  the  life;  until  this  happens,  it  is  only  in  the 
thought  of  the  understanding,  and  in  the  memory,  and  not  in 
the  act  of  the  will  ;  and  truth,  which  is  not  truth  in  act  or 
operation,  has  no  life ;  it  is  only  like  a  luxuriant  tree  having 
branches  and  leaves,  but  no  fruit;  and  it  is  like  knowledge 
witliout  any  application  to  use ;  and  like  the  foundation  upon 
which  a  house  is  built  to  be  lived  in.  These  things  are  first  as 
to  time,  but  they  are  not  first  as  to  end ;  and  what  is  first  as  to 
end  is  primary  ;  for  habitation  is  the  first  as  to  end,  but  the 
foundation  is  the  first  as  to  time  ;  use  also  is  first  as  to  end,  and 
knowledge  is  first  as  to  time;  in  like  manner  the  first  thing  as 
to  end,  when  a  tree  is  planted,  is  the  fruit,  but  the  first  things 
as  to  time  are  the  l)ranches  and  leaves.  With  the  understand- 
ing it  is  similar,  which  is  formed  in  num  first,  but  to  this  end, 
that  what  a  man  sees  with  his  understanding,  he  may  bring 
into  act;  otherwise  the  understanding  is  like  a  preacher,  who 
teaches  well,  but  lives  ill.  Beside  all  truth  is  sown  in  the  in- 
ternal man,  and  rooted  in  the  external ;  wherefore,  uidess  the 
truth  that  is  inseminated  takes  root  in  the  external  man, 
which  is  efiected  by  doing  it,  it  becomes  like  a  tree  planted, 
not  in  the  ground,  but  upon  it,  Avhich  withers  on  exposure 
to  the  heat  c»f  the  sun  :  the  man  who  has  acted  up  to  the  truth, 
takes  this  root  with  him  after  death  ;  but  not  the  man  who  had 

41 


17  THE    ArOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Cliap.  i 

only  Icjiown  and  acknowledged  it  now  as  in  faith.  Many  of 
the  ancients  made  tliat  which  is  first  as  to  time,  the  first  also  as 
to  end,  that  is,  primary ;  therefore  they  said,  that  first-begotten 
signified  trnth  in  doctrine  and  faitli  in  the  church;  not  know- 
ing that  this  is  the  first-begotten  apparently,  and  not  actually. 
But  jdl  they  who  have  made  truth  in  doctrine  and  in  faitli 
primary,  are  condemned,  because  in  tliis  there  is  nothing  of 
action  or  operation,  or  nothing  of  life ;  therefore  Cain,  who 
was  the  first-begotten  of  A.dani  and  Eve,  was  condemned  :  that 
by  him  is  signified  truth  in  doctrine  and  in  faith,  may  be  seen 
in  the  Angelic  Wisdcm  co7icerning  the  Dlmne  Providence,  n. 
242.  And  Reuben  also,  who  was  the  first-begotten  of  Jacob, 
was  condemned  by  his  father.  Genesis  xlix.  3,  4,  and  liis  birth- 
right taken  from  him,  1  Chron.  v.  1 ;  that  by  Reuben,  in  the 
spiritual  sense,  is  meant  truth  in  doctrine  and  in  faith,  will  be 
seen  j)resently.  By  the  first-born  of  Egypt,  which  were  all  cut 
ofif,  because  condemned,  nothing  else  is  meant  in  the  spiritual 
sense,  but  truth  in  doctrine  and  in  faith  separate  from  the  good 
of  life,  which  truth  is  in  itself  dead.  By  the  goats  in  Daniel 
and  in  Matthew,  none  others  are  to  be  understood,  but  those 
who  are  i'n  faith  separate  from  life,  concerning  whom  see  The 
Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  Faith,  n.  61 — 68. 
That  they  who  were  in  faith  separate  from  life,  were  rejected 
and  condemned  about  the  time  of  the  last  judgment,  may  be 
seen  in  The  Continuation  concerning  the  Last  Judgment,  n.  16, 
and  following  ones.  From  this  brief  account  ^t  may  appear, 
that  truth  in  doctrine  and  in  faith  is  not  the  first-begotten  of 
the  church  ;  but  truth  in  act  or  operation,  which  is  good  of  life  ; 
for  the  church  is  not  in  man,  unless  truth  is  in  the  life,  and 
when  truth  is  in  the  life,  then  it  is  good ;  for  the  thought  of 
the  understanding,  and  the  memory,  do  not  flow  into  the  will, 
and  through  the  will  into  act;  but  the  will  flows  into  the 
thought  of  the  understanding,  and  into  the  memory,  and  acts ; 
and  what  proceeds  from  the  will,  through  the  understanding, 
proceeds  from  atiection,  which  is  of  love,  through  the  thought, 
which  is  of  the  understanding,  and  is  all  called  good,  as  it  enters 
into  the  life  ;  wherefore  the  Lord  saitli,  that  "  he  who  doeth  the 
ttuth  Cometh  to  the  light,  that  his  deeds  may  be  made  mani- 
fest, that  they  are  wrought  in  God,"  John  iii.  21.  Because 
John  represents  the  good  of  life,  and  Peter  the  truth  of  faith, 
as  may  be  seen  above,  n.  5,  therefore  John  leaned  on  the 
Lord's' breast,  and  followed  Jesus,  but  not  Peter,  John  xxi.  18 — 
21 ;  the  Lord  also  said  of  John,  that  he  should  tarry  till  he 
came,  verse  22,  23  ;  thus  to  this  day,  Mduch  is  the  Lord's  com- 
ing ;  the  good  of  life  is  therefore  now  taught  by  the  Lord  for 
thoso  who  are  to  be  of  his  New  Church,  which  is  the  New  Je- 
rusalem. In  short,  that  is  the  first-begotten  which  truth  first 
produces  from  good,  thus  what  the  understanding  produces  from 
42 


Y.   5.]  THE  ArOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  18,  19 

the  will  ;  because  truth  is  of  the  understanding,  and  good  is  of 
the  will :  this  first  is  primary,  because  it  is  as  tlie  seed  from 
which  proceeds  every  thing  else.  So  the  Lord  is  the  first-l)e- 
gotten  from  the  dead,  because  he,  as  to  his  Humanity,  is  the 
truth  itself  united  to  the  divine  good,  from  whom  all  men,  who 
in  themselves  are  dead,  are  made  alive.  The  same  is  undcj'- 
stood  in  David  :  "  I  will  make  him  my  first-born  higher  than 
the  kings  of  the  earth,"  Psalm  Ixxxix.  27 ;  speaking  of  the  Lord's 
Humanity.  It  is  on  this  account  that  Israel  is  called  the  first- 
born, Exod.  iv.  22,  23  :  by  Israel  is  understood  truth  in  act,  and 
by  Jacob  truth  in  doctrine ;  and  because  there  is  no  church 
from  the  latter  alone,  therefore  Jacob  was  named  Israel ;  but 
in  a  supreme  sense  by  Israel  is  meant  the  Lord.  On  account  of 
this  representation  of  the  first-born,  all  the  first-born  and  all  the 
first-fruits  were  sanctified  to  Jehovah,  Exod.  xiii.  2,  12  ;  xxii.  29. 
On  account  of  this  representation  of  the  first-born,  the  Levites 
were  taken  instead  of  all  the  first-born  in  the  Israelitish  church  ; 
and  it  is  said  that  thereby  they  belonged  to  Jehovah,  Numbers 
iii.  12, 13 — i6,  xviii,  15 — 18  :  for  by  Levi  is  signified  truth  in  act, 
which  is  the  good  of  life ;  and  therefore  the  priesthood  was  given 
to  his  posterity,  which  will  be  treated  of  below.  For  the  same 
reason  a  double  portion  of  the  inheritance  was  given  to  the  first- 
born, and  he  was  called  the  beginning  of  strength,  Deut.  xxi. 
15 — 17.  The  reason  why  first-born  signifies  tho  primary  of 
the  church,  is,  because  in  the  Word  by  natural  births,  spiritual 
births  are  signified,  and  then  what  first  produces  them  in  man, 
is  understood  by  his  first-born  ;  for  there  is  no  cliurch  in  him, 
until  the  truth  of  doctrine  conceived  in  the  internal  man  is 
brought  forth  in  the  external. 

18.  Ajid  the  prince  of  the  Icings  of  the  earthy  signifies,  from 
whom  is  derived  all  truth  proceeding  from  good  in  the  cliurch. 
This  follows  from  what  has  gone  before,  because  by  faithful 
witness,  the  Lord  as  to  divine  truth  is  signified;  and  by  first- 
begotten,  the  Lord  as  to  divine  good  ;  therefore  by  prince  of 
the  eartli,  is  signified,  that  all  good  from  trutli  in  the  church 
is  from  him ;  the  I'eason  why  this  is  signified  by  prince  of  the 
kings  of  the  earth,  is,  because  by  kings  in  the  spiritual  sense  of 
the  Word,  are  meant  those  tliat  are  in  truths  derived  from  good, 
and,  abstractedly,  truths  from  good;  and  by  earth 'is  understood 
the  church :  that  this  is  the  signification  of  kings  and  earth, 
jnay  be  seen  below,  n.  20  and  n.  285. 

19.  To  him  that  loved  us  and  loashed  ns  from  our  sins  in 
his  hlood^  signifies,  who  out  of  love  and  mercy  refoi'ms  and  re- 
generates men  by  his  divine  truths  from  the  Word.  That  to 
wash  us  from  our  sins  is  to  purify  from  evils,  thus  to  reform 
and  regenerate,  is  evident;  tor  regeneration  is  spiritual  wash- 
ing ;  but  that  by  his  blood,  is  not  meant  the  passion  of  the  cross, 
as  many  believe,  but  divine  truth  proceeding  from  him,  may 

4:3 


O 


20        •       THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         [CllE^).  1- 

appear  from  many  passages  in  the  Word,  wliicli  it  would  be 
too  tedious  here  to  adduce,  but  thej  will  be  adduced  below,  ii. 
379,  653.  In  the  mean  time,  see  what  is  said  and  shown  con- 
cerning the  signification  of  the  Lord's  flesh  and  blood  in  the 
lioly  supper,  as  set  forth  in  The  New  Jerusalem  and  its  Hea- 
venly Doctrine,  n.  212 — 222  ;  and  concerning  spiritual  washing, 
which  is  rogeneration,  in  the  same,  n.  202 — 209. 

20.  And  hath  made  ns  kings  aiidj)riests,  signifies,  who  gives 
to  those  who  are  born  of  him,  that  is,  who  are  regenerated,  to 
l>e  in  wisdom  from  divine  truths,  and  in  love  from  divine  goods. 
It  is  well  known,  tliat  in  tlie  Word  the  Lord  is  called  a  king, 
and  also  a  priest ;  he  is  called  a  king  from  his  divine  wisdom, 
and  a  priest  from  his  divine  love ;  therefore,  they  who  are  in 
wisdom  from  the  Lord  are  called  kings'  sons,  and  also  kings ; 
ajid  they  who  are  in  love  from  him,  are  called  ministers  and 
priests ;  for  the  love  and  wisdom  in  them  is  not  from  them- 
selves, thus  not  their  own,  but  the  Lord's  ;  hence  it  is  that  they 
are  meant  in  the  Word  by  kings  and  priests  ;  not  that  they  are 
such,  but  that  the  Lord  is  such  in  them,  and  causes  them  to  be 
so  called.  They  are  also  called  born  of  him,  sons  of  the  king- 
dom, sons  of  the  Father,  and  heirs  ;  "  born  of  him,"  John  i.  12, 
13,  that  is,  born  again,  or  regenerated,  John  iii,  3,  and  subse- 
quent verses  :  "  children  of  the  kingdom,"  Matt.  viii.  12,  xiii. 
38  ;  "  children  of  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven,"  Matt.  v.  45 ; 
"heirs,"  Psalm  cxxvii.  3,  1  Sara.  ii.  8,  Matt.  xxv.  34;  and 
because  they  are  called  heirs,  sons  of  the  kingdom,  and  born  of 
the  Lord  as  their  Father,  they  are  denominated  kings  and 
priests :  then  also  it  is  said  that  "  they  will  sit  with  the  Lord 
upon  his  throne,"  Apoc.  iii.  21.  There  are  two  kingdoms  into 
which  the  universal  heaven  is  distinguished,  the  spiritual  king- 
dom and  the  celestial  kingdom  ;  the  spiritual  kingdom  is  what 
is  called  the  Lord's  royalty,  and  as  all  who  are  therein  are  in 
wisdom  from  truths,  tlierefore  they  are  meant  by  kings,  which 
the  Lord  will  make  those  men  who  are  in  wisdom  from 
him ;  and  the  celestial  kingdom  is  what  is  called  the  Lord's 
priesthood,  and  all  who  are  there,  are  in  love  from  good,  there- 
fore they  are  meant  by  priests,  Avhich  the  Lord  will  make  thosb 
men  who  are  in  love  from  him :  in  like  manner,  the  Lord's 
church  upon  earth  is  distinguished  into  two  kingdoms ;  con- 
cerning those  two  kingdoms,  see  the  work  0?i  Heaven  and  Hell, 
n.  24,  226.  He  who  does  not  know  the  spiritual  signification 
of  kings  and  priests,  may  be  led  into  mistakes  by  many  things 
which  are  recorded  concerning  them  in  the  prophets  and  in 
the  Apocalypse  ;  as  in  the  following  instamies  in  the  prophets : 
"  The  sons  of  strangers  shall  build  up  thy  walls,  and  their  kings 
shall  minister  unto  thee ;  thou  shalt  also  suck  the  milk  of  the 
Gentiles,  and  shalt  suck  the  breasts  of  kings;  and  thou  shalt 
know  that  I  Jehovah  am  thy  Saviour  and  thy  Kedeemer,"  Isaiah 


7.  5,  6.]  THE    APOCALYPSE    KEVEAF.Kn.  20 

Ix.  10,  16.  ''  Kings  sliall  be  tliy  mirsing  fathers,  and  tlieir 
queens  tliy  nursing  mothers,"  Isaiah  xlix.  23  ;  and  in  other 
places,  as  in  Genesis  xlix,  20 ;  Psalm  ii.  10 ;  Isaiah  xiv.  9 ; 
xxiv.  21 ;  lii.  15  ;  Jerem.  ii.  26  ;  iv.  9  ;  Ixix.  3 ;  Lament,  ii.  6, 
9  ;  Ezek.  vii.  26,  27 ;  Ilosea  iii.  4 ;  Zephan.  i.  8 :  by  kings  in 
these  passages,  kings  are  not  understood,  but  they  who  are  in 
divine  truths  from  the  Lord,  and,  abstractedly,  divine  trutlis, 
from  which  is  derived  wisdom.  Neither  are  kings  meant  by  the 
king  of  the  south  and  the  king  of  the  north,  who  waged  war 
with  each  other,  Daniel  xi.  1,  and  subsequent  verses;  but  by 
the  king  of  the  south  are  meant  those  who  are  in  truths,  and 
by  the  king  of  the  north  those  who  are  in  falses.  It  is  the 
same  in  the  Apocalypse,  wdiere  kings  are  frequently  mentioned  ; 
as  in  the  following  passages  :  "  And  the  sixth  angel  poured  out 
liis  vial  upon  the  great  river  Euphrates,  and  the  water  thereof 
was  dried  up,  that  the  way  of  the  kings  of  the  east  might  be 
prepared,"  xvi.  12.  "  The  kings  of  the  earth  have  committed 
fornication  with,  the  great  whore  that  sitteth  upon  many  waters," 
xvii.  2.  "  For  all  nations  have  drunk  of  the  wine  of  the 
wrath  of  the  fornication  of  Babylon,  and  the  kings  of  the  earth 
have  committed  fornication  with  her,"  xviii.  3.  "  And  I  saw 
the  beast,  and  the  kings  of  the  earth,  aiid  their  armies  gathered 
together  to  make  war  against  him  that  sat  on  the  white  horse," 
xix.  19.  "  And  the  nations  of  them  which  are  saved  shall 
walk  in  the  lioht  of  it,  and  the  kincfs  of  the  earth  do  briu"; 
their  glory  and  honour  into  the  New  Jerusalem,  xxi,  24 ;  and 
in  other  places,  as  xvii.  9 — 14  ;  xviii.  9,  10  ;  by  kings  are  here 
meant  those  who  are  in  truths,  and,  in  an  opposite  sense,  those 
who  are  in  falses  ;  and,  abstractedly,  truths  or  falses ;  by  the 
fornication  of  Bal)ylon  M-itli  the  kings  of  the  earth  is  meant 
the  falsification  of  the  truth  of  the  church  ;  that  Babylon,  or 
the  woman  who  sat  upon  the  scarlet-coloured  be^ast,  did  not 
commit  fornication  with  kings,  but  that  she  falsified  the  truths 
of  the  Word,  is  evident.  It  appears,  therefore,  that  by  kings, 
which  the  Lord  M'ill  make  those  wdio  are  in  wisdom  from  him, 
it  is  not  to  be  understood  that  they  will  be  kings,  but  that  they 
will  be  wise ;  the  evidence  of  which  enlightened  reason  can 
discern.  So  in  the  following  passages:  "Thou  hast  made  us 
unto  our  God  kings  and  j)riests,  and  we  shall  reign  upon  the 
earth,"  Apoc.  v.  10.  That  the  Lord,  by  a  king,  meant  truth, 
is  evident  from  his  own  words  to  Pilate  :  "  Pilate  said  unto  him, 
Art  thou  not  a  king  then  ?  Jesus  answered,  Thou  sayest  that 
I  am  a  king ;  to  this  end  was  I  born,  and  for  this  cause  came 
I  into  the  world,  that  I  should  bear  witness  unto  the  truth ; 
every  one  that  is  of  the  truth  hcareth  my  voice :  Pilate  saith 
unto  him,  AVhat  is  truth?"  John  xviii.  37,  38;  to  boar  wit- 
ness unto  the  truth,  means  that  he  himself  is  truth  ;  and  be- 
cause from  it  he  called  himself  a  king,  Pilate  said,  what  ia 
45 


21 — 23  THE  APOCALYPSE  KKVEALED.         [Chap,  i 

truth,  tliat  is,  truth  is  a  king.  Tliat  priests  signify  tliose  wlio 
are  in  the  good  of  love,  and,  abstracted  from  person,  the  goods 
of  love,  will  appear  in  what  follows. 

21.  TJnto  God  and  his  Father^  signifies,  and  thus  images  of 
his  divine  wisdom,  and  of  his  divine  love.  By  God  and  Father, 
in  the  spiritual  sense,  two  persons  are  not  understood ;  but  by 
God  is  understood  the  Divinity  as  to  wisdom,  and  by  Father 
the  Divinity  as  to  love;  for  there  are  two  things  in  the  Lord, 
divine  wisdom  and  divine  love,  or  divine  truth  and  divine 
good ;  these  two  are  iindei-stood  in  the  Old  Testament  by  God 
and  Jehovah,  and  here,  by  God  and  the  Father.  ]N"ow  because 
the  Lord  teaches,  that  he  and  the  Father  are  one,  and  that  he  is 
in  the  Father  and  the  Father  in  him  (John  x.  30  ;  xiv.  10,  11), 
by  God  and  the  Father  are  not  miderstood  two  persons,  but 
only  the  Lord;  the  Divinity  also  is  one  and  indivisible,  there- 
fore by  Jesus  Christ  making  us  kings  and  priests  unto  God  and 
his  Father,  is  signified,  that  they  appear  in  his  sight  as  images 
of  his  divine  wisdom  and  of  his  divine  love  ;  for  in  these  two 
consists  the  imacre  of  God  in  men  and  ano-els.  That  the  Divin- 
ity,  wdiich  in  itself  is  one,  is  expressed  by  various  names  in  the 
Word,  may.  be  seen  in  the  Doctrine  of  the  N ew  Jerusalem  con- 
cerning the  Lord.  That  the  Lord  himself  is  also  the  Father,  is 
evident  from  the  following  places  in  Isaiah :  "  For  unto  lis  a 
child  is  born,  imto  us  a  son  is  given,  and  his  name  shall  be 
called  Wonderful,  Counsellor,  the  Mighty  God,  the  Everlasting 
Father,  the  Prince  of  Peace,"  ix.  5.  Li  the  same :  "  Thou, 
Jehovah,  art  our  Father,  our  Redeemer,  thy  name  is  from 
everlasting,"  Ixiii.  16  ;  and  in  John,  "If  ye  had  known  me,  ye 
should  have  known  my  Father  also,  and  from  henceforth  ye  do 
know  him,  and  have  seen  him :  Philip  saith  unto  him.  Lord, 
show  lis  the  Father :  Jesus  saith  unto  him,  He  that  hath  seen 
me  liath  seen  the  Father,  and  how  sayest  thou  then,  Show  us  the 
Father  f  believe  me,  that  I  am  in  the  Father,  and  the  Father 
in  me,"  xiv.  7,  8,  9,  11.     See  n.  960,  below. 

22.  To  him  he  glory  and,  might  for  ever  and  ever,  signifies, 
to  wdiom  alone  belong  divine  majesty  and  divine  omnipotence 
to  eternity.  By  glory  in  the  Word,  where  the  Lord  is  treated 
of,  is  understood  the  divine  majesty  ;  this  being  predicated  of 
his  divine  wisdom ;  and  by  might,  is  meant  divine  omnipo- 
tence, this  being  predicated  of  his  divine  love ;  and  by  for 
ever  and  ever,  is  meant  eternity.  That  such  is  the  meaning 
of  glory,  might,  and  ever  and  ever,  when  spoken  of  Jehovah  or 
the  Lord,  may  be  confirmed  from  many  passages  in  the  Word. 

23.  Amen,  signifies  divine  confirmation  from  the  truth,  thus 
from  himself.  Amen  signifies  truth  ;  and  because  the  Lord  was 
truth  itself,  he  so  often  said,  Amen  (verily),  I  say  unto  you,  as 
in  Matt.  v.  18,  26 ;  vi.  16 ;  x.  23,  42  ;  xvii.  20  ;  xviii.  13,  18 ; 
XXV.  12 ;  xxviii.  20;  John  iii.  11 ;  v.  19,  24,  25 ;  vi.  26,  32,  47 

46 


V.  7.J  THE  APOCALYPSE    liKVKALED.  24 

53;  viii.  34,  51,  58;  x.  7;  xiii.  16,  20,  21;  xxi.  18,  25;  and  in 
the  following  passaj^e  in  the  Apocalypse :  "  These  things  saith 
the  Amen,  tlie  faithful  and  true  witness,"  iii.  14  ;  that  is,  the 
Lord.  That  the  Lord  is  truth  itself,  he  himself  teaclies  in  John 
xiv.  6  ;  xvii.  19. 

24.  Behold  he  cometh  with  clouds^  signifies  that  the  Lord 
will  reveal  liimsclf  in  the  literal  sense  of  the  "Word,  and  will 
open  its  spiritual  sense  at  the  end  of  the  church.  He  who  does 
not  know  any  thing  of  the  internal  or  spiritual  sense  of  the 
Word,  cannot  know  what  was  meant  by  the  Lord  concerning 
liis  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven;  for  he  said  unto  the  high 
priest,  who  adjured  him  to  declare  whether  he  was  the  Christ 
the  Son  of  God,  "  Thou  hast  said  ;  nevertheless  I  say  unto  you, 
liereafter  shall  ye  see  the  Son  of  Man  sitting  on  the  right  hand 
of  power,  and  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven,"  Matt.  xxvi.  04; 
Mark  xiv.  61,  62  ;  and  where  the  Lord  speaks  to  his  disciples 
of  the  consummation  of  the  age,  he  says,  "And  then  shall  ap- 
pear the  sign  of  the  Son  of  Man  in  heaven  ;  and  they  shall  see 
the  Son  of  Man  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and 
great  glory,"  Matt.  xxiv.  30;  Mark  xiii.  26.  By  the  clouds  ot 
heaven  in  wliich  he  is  to  come,  nothing  else  is  meant  but  the 
Word  in  its  literal  sense  ;  and  by  the  glory  in  which  they  will 
see  him,  the  Word  in  its  spiritual  sense.  That  this  is  tlie  case, 
is  difficult  to  be  believed  by  those  who  do  not  think  beyond  the 
literal  sense  of  the  Word;  with  such,  a  cloud  is  a  cloud,  and 
thence  comes  their  belief  that  tlie  Lord  will  appear  in  the  clouds 
of  heaven,  when  the  last  judgment  is  at  hand ;  but  this  idea 
falls  to  the  ground,  when  it  is  known  what  is  the  meaning  of 
cloud,  and  that  it  denotes  divine  truth  in  ultimates,  and  thus 
the  Word  in  its  literal  sense.  In  the  spiritual  world  there  ap- 
pear clouds  as  well  as  in  the  natural  world ;  but  the  clouds  in 
the  spiritual  world  appear  beneath  the  heavens,  with  those  who 
are  in  tlie  literal  sense  of  the  AVord,  darker  or  brighter  accord- 
ing to  their  understanding  and  reception  of  the  A'V^ord  ;  the 
reason  is,  because  the  light  of  heaven  there  is  divine  truth, 
and  darkness  there  proceeds  from  falses ;  consequently  l)right 
clouds  are  the  divine  truth  veiled  in  appearances  of  truth,  such 
as  the  AVord  is  in  the  letter  with  those  who  are  in  truths  ;  and 
dark  clouds  are  the  divine  truth  covered  with  fallacies  and  con- 
firmed appearances,  such  as  the  Word  is  in  the  letter  with  those 
who  are  in  falses :  I  have  often  seen  those  clouds,  and  it  was 
evident  "whence  and  what  they  are.  Now  because  the  Lord, 
after  the  glorification  of  his  humanity,  was  made  divine  truth, 
or  the  Word,  even  in  ultimates,  he  said  unto  the  high  priest, 
that  hereafter  they  should  "  see  the  Son  of  Man  coming  in  the 
clouds  of  heaven."  But  his  saying  to  his  discijilos,  that  in  the 
consummation  of  the  a^e  the  sign  of  the  Son  of  Man  should 
appear^  and  that  they  snould  see  him  coming  in  the  clouds  of 
4? 


24  THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.  [Chap.  1. 

heaven  -with  power  and  glory,  sio^nifies  that  at  the  end  of  the 
chnrcli,  when  the  last  judgment  sliall  take  place,  he  will  appear 
in  the  Word,  and  reveal  its  spiritual  sense,  which  is  also  accom- 
plished at  this  day,  because  now  is  the  end  of  the  clmrch,  and 
the  last  judgment  has  taken  place,  as  may  appear  from  the 
Treatise  on  the  Last  Judgment  and  its  Crnitiiiuation :  this, 
therefore,  is  what  is  meant  in  the  Apocalypse,  by  "  behold  he 
Cometh  with  clouds ;"  also  in  the  following  passages:  "  I  looked, 
and  behold,  a  white  cloud.,  and  upon  the  cloud  one  sat  like  unto 
tlie  Son  of  Man,"  Apoc.  xiv,  14.  As  also  in  Daniel :  "  I  saw  in 
the  night  visions,  and  behold  one  like  the  Son  of  Man  Avith 
clouds  of  lieaven,"  vii.  13  ;  that  by  the  Son  of  Man  is  meant  the 
Lord  as  to  the  Word,  may  be  seen  in  the  Doctrine  of  the  New 
Jerusalem  concerning  the  Lord.^  n.  19 — 28.  Tliat  by  cloud  in 
other  parts  of  the  Word,  is  meant,  also,  divine  truth  in  nlti- 
mates,  and  thence  the  Word  in  the  letter,  may  be  seen  in  other 
passages  where  clouds  are  mentioned;  as  in  these:  "There  is 
none  like  nnto  the  God  of  Jeshurun,  who  rideth  upon  the  hea- 
ven in  thy  help,  and  in  liis  excellency  on  the  clouds^^''  Deut. 
xxxiii.  26.  "Sing  nnto  God,  sing  praises  to  his  name,  extol 
him  tliat  rideth  upon  the  clouds,^''  Psalm  Ixviii.  4.  "Jehovah 
rideth  npon  a  light  cloud^''  Isaiah  xix.  1 :  to  ride  upon  the 
clouds,  signifies  to  be  in  the  M'isdom  of  the  Word,  for  a  horse 
signifies  the  understanding  of  the  Word  ;  who  cannot  see  that 
Jehovah  does  not  ride  npon  the  clouds  ?  "  And  he  rode  npon 
a  cherub,  and  made  the  clouds  of  heaven  his  pavilion,"  Psalm 
xviii.  10,  11  :  here  there  is  a  simihir  signification  ;  cherubs  also 
signify  tlie  Word,  as  may  be  seen  below,  n.  239,  672  ;  pavilion 
signifies  a  habitation.  "  Jehovah  layeth  the  beams  of  his 
chambers  in  the  waters,  who  maketh  the  clouds  his  chariot," 
Psalm  civ.  3.  Waters  signify  truths,  chambers  signify  doc- 
trinal?, and  chariot  doctrine,  all  which,  because  they  belong  to 
the  literal  sense  of  the  Word,  are  called  clouds.  "  He  bindeth 
up  the  waters  in  his  thick  clouds,  and  tlie  cloud  is  not  rent  under 
tiiem  ;  he  holdeth  back  the  face  of  his  throne,  and  spreadeth 
liis  cloud  upon  it,"  Job  xxvi.  8,  9  :  this  is  to  be  understood  in 
like  manner,  "  God  caused  the  light  of  his  cloud  to  shine,"  Job 
xxxvii.  15.  "Ascribe  ye  strength  unto  God,  his  excellency  is 
over  Israel,  and  his  strength  is  in  the  cloitds,''^  Psalm  Ixviii.  34. 
The  light  of  a  cloud  signifies  the  divine  truth  of  the  Word,  and 
strength  signifies  its  divine  power.  "  Thou,  O  Lucifer,  hast  said 
in  thine  heart,  I  will  ascend  above  the  heights  of  the  clouds! 
I  will  be  like  the  Most  High,"  Isaiah  xiv.  14.  "  Forsake  ye 
Babykm,  for  her  judgment  reacheth  unto  heaven,  and  is  lifted 
up  even  to  the  clouds,^  Jer.  li.  9.  By  Lucifer  and  Babylon  are 
signified  those  who  profane  the  goods  and  truths  of  the  Word, 
therefore  these  truths  are  to  be  understood  there  by  clouds. 
"Jehovah  spread  a  cloud  for  a  covering,"  Psalm  cv.  39,  "  Je- 
48 


▼.  7.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  25,  20 

hovali  will  create  upon  every  dwelling-place  of  Mount  Zion,  a 
cloud  and  smoke  by  day,  for  upon  all  the  glory  shall  be  a  de- 
fence^'' Isaiah  iv,  5  :  here,  also,  bj^  cloud,  is  meant  the  Word 
in  its  literal  sense,  which  sense,  as  it  includes  and  covers  the 
spiritual  sense,  is  called  a  covering  upon  the  glory  ;  that  the 
literal  sense  of  the  Word  is  a  covering,  or  defence,  lest  its 
Sj>iritual  sense  should  be  violated,  maybe  seen  in  The  Doctrine 
of  the  J^ew  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Sacred  Scrijjture,  n.  33 ; 
and  that  it  is  a  defence,  n.  97.  Divine  truth  in  uUinuites,  which 
is  the  same  with  the  Word  in  its  literal  sense,  is  also  represented 
by  the  cloud,  in  which  Jehovah  descended  upon  Mount  Sinai, 
and  promulgated  the  huv,  Exod.  xix.  9  ;  xxxiv.  5.  Also  by  the 
cloud  which  covered  Peter,  James,  and  John,  when  Jesus  was 
transfigui-ed,  concerning  which  it  is  written  :  '' While  Peter  yet 
spake,  behold  a  bright  cloud  overshadowed  them,  and  behold  a 
voice  out  of  the  cloud  which  said.  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  hear 
ye  him,"  Matt.  xvii.  5;  Mark  ix.  7;  Luke  ix.  Si,  35.  The 
Lord  in  this  transfiguration  caused  himself  to  be  seen  as  the 
Word  ;  therefore  a  cloud  overshadowed  them,  and  a  voice  was 
heard  out  of  the  cloud,  saying  that  he  was  the  Son  of  God  ;  a 
voice  out  of  the  cloud,  means  out  of  the  Word.  That  by  cloud, 
in  an  opposite  sense,  is  meant  the  Word  as  to  its  literal  sens© 
falsified,  will  be  seen  elsewhere. 

25.  And  every  eye  shall  see  him,  signifies  that  all  who  are 
in  the  understanding  of  divine  truth  from  affection  will  ackno^/- 
ledge  him.  In  the  spiritual  sense,  by  eye,  is  not  meant  the  eye, 
but  the  understanding;  tlierefore,  every  eye  shall  see  him, 
denotes  that  all  who  are  in  the  miderstanding  of  divine  truth 
from  affection  will  acknowledge  him,  because  they  alone  un- 
derstand and  acknowledge ;  the  rest  see  indeed  and  ako  under- 
stand, but  do  not  acknowledge  ;  the  former,  then,  are  signified, 
because  it  follows,  that  they,  also,  who  pierced  him,  will  see 
him,  by  whom  are  undcn-stood  they  who  are  in  falses.  That  the 
eye  signifies  understanding,  will  be  seen  below,  n..  48. 

20.  And  they  also  who  pierced  him,  signifies  that  they  also 
will  sec  who  are  in  falses  in  the  church.  By  piercing  Jesus 
Christ,  nothing  else  is  meant  but  the  destruction  of  his  divine 
truth  in  the  Word ;  this,  also,  is  understood  by  "  one  of  the 
soldiers  piercing  his  side,  and  water  and  blood  coming  there- 
out," John  xix.  34,  IMood  and  water  are  divine  truth,  spirit- 
ual and  natural,  thus  the  Word  in  its  spiritual  and  in  its  natural 
sense  ;  and  to  pierce  the  Lord's  side  is  to  destroy  both  by  falses, 
as  was  also  done  by  the  Jews;  for  all  the  circumstances  of  the 
Lord's  passion  represented  the  state  of  the  Jewish  church  as  to 
the  Word,  on  which  sul)ject,  see  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jeru- 
salem cont'erniny  the  Lord,  n.  15 — 17.  The  reason  why  piercing 
him,  signifies  to  destroy  the  Word  by  falses,  is,  because  this  \-t 
oaid  of  Jesus  Christ,  who  presently  afier  is  called  the  Son  of  Man, 
4^  D 


27 29  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  [Chap,  t 

and  by  the  Son  of  Man  is  meant  the  Lord  as  to  tlic  Word,  there* 
fore  to  pierce  the  Son  of  Man,  is  to  do  the  same  to  the  AVord. 

27.  And  all  the  tribes  <yf  the  earth  shall  wail  hecause  of 
Mm,  signities  that  this  will  be  when  there  aire  no  longer  any 
goods  and  trutlis  in  the  church.  That  tlie  tribes  of  the  earth 
Bignify  the  goods  and  truths  of  the  cluirch,  will  be  seen  in  the 
explanation  of  the  seventh  chapter,  where  the  twelve  tribes  of 
Israel  are  treated  of;  wailing  signifies  lamentation,  by  reason 
of  their  being  dead.  The  same  is  meant  liere  as  by  the  Lord's 
words  in  Matthew  :  "  Immediately  after  the  tribulation  of  tliose 
days  shall  the  sun  be  darkened,  and  the  moon  shall  not  give 
her  light,  and  the  stars  shall  fall  from  heaven ;  and  then  shall 
appear  the  sign  of  the  Son  of  Man,  and  then  shall  all  the  tribes 
of  the  earth  tnourn,^''  xxiv.  29,  30 ;  these  things  are  said  of  the 
consummation  of  the  age,  which  is  the  end  of  the  church ;  the 
sun  shall  be  darkened,  signifies  that  there  is  no  longer  any  love 
and  charity ;  the  moon  shall  not  give  her  light,  signifies  that 
there  is  no  longer  any  intelligence  and  faith ;  the  stars  shall 
fall  from  heaven,  signifies  that  there  are  no  longer  any  know- 
ledges of  good  and  truth ;  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth  shall  mourn, 
signifies  that  there  are  no  longer  any  goods  and  truths ;  tribu- 
lation, signifies  that  state  of  the  church. 

28.  Even  so,  A7ne?i,  signifies  the  divine  confirmation  that  so 
it  will  be.    This  is  evident  from  what  was  explained  above,  n.  19- 

29.  I atn  the  Alpha  and  the  Omega,  the  Beginning  and  the 
End,  signifies  who  is  the  self-subsisting  and  only-subsisting 
from  first  principles  to  ultimates ;  from  whom  proceed  all 
things  ;  thus,  who  is  the  self-subsisting  and  onlj-subsisting  love, 
the  self-subsisting  and  only-subsisting  wisdom,  and  the  self-sub- 
sisting and  onl}' -subsisting  life  in  himself;  and,  consequently, 
the  self-subsisting  and  only-subsisting  Creator,  Saviour,  and 
Illuminator,  from  himself;  and  thence  the  all  in  all  of  heaven 
and  the  church.  These  and  many  more  things  besides  are  con- 
tained in  the  above  words,  by  which  the  Lord  is  described ; 
that  they  are  spoken  of  the  Lord,  and,  indeed,  of  his  Humanity, 
is  very  evident,  for  it  follows,  that  John  heard  a  voice,  saying, 
*'  I  am  the  Alpha  and  the  Omega,  the  First  and  the  Last ;  and 
1  turned  to  see  the  voice  that  spake  with  me,  and  saw  the  Son 
of  Man  in  the  midst  of  seven  candlesticks,"  chap.  i.  10 — 13; 
who,  also,  a  little  further  on,  says,  "  I  am  the  First  and  the 
Lust,  I  am  he  that  liveth  and  was  dead,"  verse  17,  18  ;  chap.  ii. 
8.  But  that  all  the  particulars  above  enumerated  are  contained 
in  these  words,  cannot  be  confirmed  briefi}',  for  to  confirm 
them,  so  as  to  be  well  comprehended,  would  recpiire  niany  vol- 
umes;  still  they  are  in  part  confirmed  in  TJie  Angelic  Wisdom 
concerning  the  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom..  The  Lord 
calls  himself  the  Alpha  and  the  Omega,  the  Beginning  and  the 
End,  because  Alpha  and  Omega  refer  to  his  divine  love,  and 

50 


V.  8.J  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  tSO^  31 

Beginning  and  End,  to  his  divine  wisdom  ;  for  tliere  is,  in  everv 
particular  of  the  "Word,  a  marriage  of  love  and  wisdom,  or  of 
good  and  truth  ;  on  Mdiich  subject,  see  Hic  Doctrine  of  tits 
New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Sacred  Scripture,  n.  80 — [)0. 
The  Lord  is  called  the  Alpha  and  the  Omega,  because  alpha  is 
the  Hi-st  letter  and  omega  the  last  in  the  Xjreek  alphabet,  and 
therefore  signify  all  in  the  aggregate ;  tne  reason  is,  because 
each  letter  of  the  alphabet,  in  tlie  spiritual  world,  signitie8 
something ;  and  a  vowel,  being  used  for  sound,  somewhat  of 
aflection  or  love  ;  from  this  origin,  spiritual  and  angelic  speech, 
and,  also,  the  Scriptures,  are  derived ;  but  this  is  an  arcanum 
hithei-to  unknown ;  for  there  is  a  univei-sal  language  which  all 
angels  and  spirits  use ;  and  this  has  nothing  in  common  with 
an_y  language  of  men  in  the  world :  every  man  comes  into  this 
hmguage  after  death ;  for  it  is  inherent  in  every  man  from 
creation,  therefore  they  ail  can  understand  each  other  in  the 
spiritual  world.  It  has  been  granted  me  frequently  to  hear  that 
language,  and  also  to  speak  it ;  and  I  have  compared  it  with 
the  languages  in  this  world,  and  have  found  that  it  does  not, 
even  in  the  smallest  particular,  make  one  with  any  natural  lan- 
guage upon  the  earth  ;  it  difters  from  these  in  its  iirst  princi- 
ples, which  are,  that  each  letter  of  every  word  has  a  sense  and 
signification  peculiar  to  itself,  as  well  in  speaking  as  in  writing : 
therefore  it  is  that  the  Lord  is  called  the  Alpha  and  the  Omega, 
which  signifies  that  lie  is  the  All  in  all  of  heaven  and  the 
church  ;  and  as  these  two  letters  are  vowels,  they  have  relation 
to  love,  as  was  said  above.  Concerning  this  language,  and  the 
writing  of  It,  as  flowing  from  the  spiritual  thought  of  the  angels, 
something  may  be  seen  in  The  Angelic  Wisdom  concerning  t/ie 
Divine  Love  ana  ihe  Divine  Wtsdo7)i,  n.  295. 

30.  Saith  the  Lortx,  '^ono  is^  and  v^ho  loas,  and  who  is  to  come, 
that  this  signifies  who  is  eternal  and  infinite,  and  who  is  Jelu)- 
vah,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  lb,  wnere  tne  same  is  explained. 

31.  The  Almighty,  signifies  who  is,  lives,  and  has  power 
from  himself,  and  who  governs  all  things  from  first  princi})Ies  by 
ultimatcs.  Since  all  things  are  from  the  Lord,  and  are  created 
from  the  first  principles  which  are  from  him ;  and  since  there 
is  nothing  made  which  does  not  thence  derive  its  existence,  as 
is  abundantly  sliown  in  21ie  Angelic  Wisdom  concerning  the 
Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom,  it  follows,  t?iat  he  is  om- 
nipotent. Suppose  a  one  from  whom  are  all  things;  are  not 
all  things  of  that  one,  upon  which  they  depend  in  their  order, 
as  the  links  of  a  chain  uj)on  their  hook  ;  or  as  the  \1lood-vessei3 
of  the  M'hole  body  upon  the  heart;  or  as  all  and  every  thing  in 
the  univei'se  upon  the  sun?  thus  do  all  things  depend  upon  the 
Lord,  who  is  the  sun  of  the  spiritual  w^^^rld,  from  whom  all  the 
essence,  life,  and  power,  possessed  by  those  who  are  under  that 
sun,  is  derived  ;  in  a  word,  from  him  we  live,  and  move,  and 

61 


89  THE    APOCAIYPSE   REVEALED.  [CliE^    L 

have  our  being,  Acts  xvii.  28 :  this  is  divine  omnipotence. 
That  the  Lord  rules  all  things  from  first  principles  bj  nlti mates, 
is  an  arcanum  never  before  revealed ;  but  it  is  now  explained 
in  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Lord,, 
and  concerning  the  Sacred  Scripture,,  in  many  places  ;  and  also 
in  The  Angelic  Wisdom  concerning  the  Divine  Providence,,  n. 
124;  and  concerning  The  Divine  Love,  n.  221.  It  is  well  known 
that  the  Divine  being  infinite,  does  not  fall  within  the  ideas  of 
the  thought  of  any  man  or  angel,  because  these  are  finite,  and 
what  is  finite  is  not  capable  of  perceiving  the  infinite  ;  still,  that 
it  may  in  some  manner  be  perceived,  it  has  pleased  the  Lord 
to  describe  his  infinity  by  these  words :  I  am  the  Alpha  and 
the  Omega,  the  Beginning  and  the  End  ;  who  is,  and  who  was, 
and  who  is  to  come,  the  Almighty ;  these  words,  therefore,  in- 
clude all  things  that  ever  angel  or  man  can  think,  spiritually 
and  naturally,  concerning  the  Divine  ;  which  things,  in  general, 
are  what  were  adduced  above  in  an  universal  manner. 

32.  /  John,  who  also  am  your  hrother  and  companion,  signi- 
fies those  who  are  in  the  good  of  charity,  and  thence  in  the 
truths  of  fiiith.  It  was  observed  above,  n.  5,  that  the  apostle 
John  represented  those  who  are  in  the  good  of  charity ;  and 
they  who  are  in  the  good  of  charity  are,  also,  in  the  truths  of 
faith,  because  charity  is  the  life  and  soul  of  faith ;  hence  it  is, 
that  John  calls  himself  the  brother  and  companion  of  those  in 
the  church  to  whom  he  wrote,  for  he  wrote  to  the  seven 
churches :  by  brother,  in  the  spiritual  sense  of  the  Word,  is 
meant  one  who  is  in  the  good  of  charity ;  and,  by  companion, 
one  who  is  thence  in  the  truths  of  faith ;  for  all  are,  as  it  were, 
in  consanguinity  by  charity,  but  in  afiinity  by  faith ;  for  char- 
ity conjoins  ;  not  so  faith,  except  it  be  from  charity :  Vvhen  faith 
is  from  charity,  then  charity  conjoins,  and  faith  consociates ; 
and  since  they  make  one,  therefore  the  Lord  commanded  that 
all  should  be  brethren,  for  he  says,  "  One  is  your  master,  even 
Christ,  but  all  ye  are  brethren,"  Matt,  xxiii.  8 ;  the  Lord,  also, 
calls  those  brethren  who  are  in  the  good  of  charity,  or  in  good 
of  life ;  for  he  said,  "  My  mother  and  my  brethren  are  these, 
who  hear  the  Word  of  God,  and  do  it,"  Luke  viii.  21 ;  Matt, 
xii.  49 ;  Mark  iii,  33 — 35.  By  mother,  is  meant  the  church, 
and  by  brethren,  those  who  are  in  charity ;  and  as  the  good  of 
charity  is  denoted  by  brother,  therefore  the  Lord  calls  those 
who  are  principled  therein,  orethren,  in  Matthew,  also,  xxv.  40, 
and  likewise  discij)les.  Matt,  xxviii.  10 ;  John  xx.  17  ;  but  it 
is  not  written  that  the  disciples  called  the  Lord  brother,  be- 
cause brother  denotes  the  good  which  is  from  tlie  Lord :  the 
case  is  comparatively  as  it  is  with  kings,  princes,  and  great 
men,  who  call  those  who  are  connected  with  them  by  blood  or 
affinity,  brethren,  but  yet  the  latter  do  not  in  their  turn  call 
them  so ;  for  the  Lord  says,  "  One  is  your  master,  even  Clu-ist, 
52 


V.   9.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEAXED.  33 

but  all  je  are  brethren,"  Matt,  xxiii.  8;  also,  "Ye  call  me  master 
and  Lord ;  and  je  say  well,  for  so  I  am,"  John  xiii.  13.  The  chil- 
dren of  Israel  called  all  those  brethren  who  were  descended  fmni 
their  father  Jacob:  and  in  a  more  extensive  sense,  those  also  who 
were  descended  from  Esau ;  but  such  as  were  not  descended  from 
tliein  tliey  called  compani'jns.  But  as  the  Word,  in  its  spiritual 
sense,  treats  only  of  those  wiio  are  in  tlie  Lord's  church,  therefore 
in  that  sense,  by  brethren,  they  are  meant  who  are  in  the  good  of 
charity  from  the  Lord,  and,  by  companions,  tiiey  who  are  in  the 
truths  of  faith;  as  in  the  following  passages:  "Thus  shall  ye  say 
every  one  to  his  campanimi^  and  every  one  to  his  hrother^  What 
hath  Jehovah  aiiswered?"  Jer.  xxxiii.  35.  "Ye  have  not  hearken- 
ed unto  me  in  procl:iiming  liberty  every  one  to  his  h^other^  and 
every  man  to  his  coinjMnion,^^  Jer.  xxxiv.  IT.  "  He  shall  not 
exact  it  from  his  comjxxnion^  or  of  his  hrotherT  Deut.  xv.  2. 
"  For  my  hrethrcn  and  companions'  sakes,  I  will  now  say," 
Psalm  cxxii.  8.  "They  help  every  one  his  companion.,  and 
every  one  said  to  his  hroihei\  Be  of  good  courage,"  Isaiah  xli.  6; 
and,  in  an  opposite  sense,  "  Take  ye  heed  every  one  of  his  com- 
panion., and  trust  not  in  any  hrother,  for  every  Jjrother  will  ut- 
terly supplant,  and  every  companion  will  walk  with  slanders," 
Jer.  ix.  4.  "  I  will  set  the  Egyptians  against  the  Egyptians, 
and  they  shall  fight  every  one  against  his  hrothei^  and  every 
one  against  his  companion^''  Isaiah  xix.  2 ;  and  in  other  places. 
These  passages  are  adduced,  that  it  may  be  known  why  John 
calls  himself  brother  and  companion ;  and  that  by  brother,  in  tho 
Word,  is  meant  one  who  is  in  charity  or  in  good,  and,  by  com- 
])anion,  one  who  is  in  faitli  or  in  truth.  But  as  it  is  charity  from 
which  faith  is  derived,  therefore  none  are  called  companions  by 
the  Lord,  but  brethren  or  neighbour;  every  one,  indeed,  is  a 
neighbour  according  to  the  quality  of  good,  Luke  x.  36,  37. 

33.  In  tribulation.,  and  in  the  kingdom  and  patience  of 
Jesus  Christ.,  signifies  which  in  the  church  are  infested  by  evils 
and  falses,  but  which  will  be  removed  by  the  Lord  at  his 
coming.  By  tribulation,  is  meant  the  state  of  the  church  when 
there  are  no  longer  any  goods  of  charity  and  truths  of  faith,  but 
instead  of  them,  evils  and  falses  ;  by  tho  kingdom,  is  meant  the 
church;  and,  by  patience  of  Jesus  Christ,  is  meant  the  Lord's 
advent ;  therefore  these  words,  "  In  tribulation,  and  in  the  king- 
dom and  patience  of  Jesus  Christ,"  when  collated  into  one 
sense,  signify  when  the  goods  and  truths  of  the  church  are 
infested  by  evils  and  falses,  but  which  will  be  removed  by  the 
Lord  at  his  coming.  That  by  tribulation,  is  meant  the  state  of 
the  church  when  it  is  infested  by  evils  and  falses,  is  evident 
from  the  following  passages :  "  In  the  consummation  of  the 
age,  they  shall  deliver  you  up  to  be  affiicted,  and  shall  kill  yon. 
Tliere  shall  be  great  trihulatio7i,  such  as  was  not  since  the 
beginning  of  the  world  to  this  time,  no,  nor  ever  shall  be. 
63 


34 36  THE   APOCALYPSE   K3?VEALED.  [Chap,  t 

Immediately  after  the  tribulation  of  those  days  shall  the  sun 
be  darkened,  and  the  moon  shall  not  give  hev  light,  and  the 
stars  shall  fall  from  heaven,"  Matt.  xxiv.  9,  21,  '29 ;  Mark  xiii. 
19,  24.  That  the  kingdom  signiHes  the  church,  will  be  seen  in 
what  follows. 

34.  I  was  in  the  isle  called  Patmos^  signifies  a  state  and 
P-ace  in  which  he  could  be  illuminated.  The  reason  why  this 
revelation  was  made  to  John  in  Patmos,  was,  because  it  was  an 
island  in  Greece,  not  far  from  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  between 
Asia  and  Europe  ;  and  by  isles  are  signified  the  nations  more 
remote  from  the  worship  of  G-od,  but  yet  which  will  accede  to 
it,  because  they  are  capable  of  being  illuminated  ;  the  same  is 
signified  by  Greece  ;  but  the  church  itself  is  signified  by  the 
land  of  Canaan  ;  by  Asia,  they  of  the  church  who  are  in  the 
light  of  truth  from  the  Word  ;  and,  by  Europe,  they  to  whom 
the  Word  is  about  to  come  ;  hence  it  is,  that  by  the  isle  of 
Patmos,  is  signified  a  state  and  place  in  which  Jxe  could  be  illu- 
minated. That  by  isles  in  the  Word  are  signified  the  nations 
which  are  more  remote  from  the  worship  of  God,  but  which  yet 
will  accede  to  it,  is  evident  from  the  following  j^laces  :  "  Glorify 
Jehovah  in  the  fires,  even  the  name  of  the  Lord  God  of  Israel 
in  the  isles  of  the  sea,"  Isaiah  xxiv.  15.  "  He  shall  not  fail 
nor  be  discouraged  till  he  have  set  judgment  in  the  earth,  and 
the  isles  shall  wait  for  his  law.  Sing  unto  Jehovah  a  new  song, 
the  isles  and  the  inhabitants  thereof,  let  them  give  glory  unto 
Jehovah ;  and  declare  his  praise  in  the  islands^''  Isaiah  xlii.  4, 10, 
12.  "  Listen,  O  isles^  unto  me ;  and  hearken,  ye  people  from 
far,"  Isaiah  xlix.  1.  "The  isles  shall  wait  upon  me,  and  on 
mine  arm  shall  they  trust,"  Isaiah  li.  5.  "The  isles  shall  wait 
for  me,  and  the  ships  of  Tarshish,"  Isaiah  Ix.  9.  "  Hear  the 
Word  of  Jehovah,  O  ye  nations,  and  declare  it  in  the  isles  afar 
oflP,"  Jer.  xxxi.  10,  "And  men  shall  worship  Jehovah  every 
one  from  his  place,  even  all  the  isles  of  the  heathen,"  Zeph.  ii. 
11  ;  and  elsewhere.  That  the  same  is  signified  by  Greece,  is 
not  so  evident  from  the  Word,  because  Greece  is  mentioned 
only  in  Daniel  viii.  21 ;  x.  20  ;  xi.  2 ;  as  also  in  John  xii.  20 ; 
Mark  vii.  26.  That  by  the  land  of  Canaan  is  meant  the  Lord's 
church,  which  is  thence  called  the  Holy  Land,  and  the  heavenly 
Canaan,  is  evident  from  many  passages  in  the  AVord  ;  that  by 
Asia  are  meant  they  in  the  church  who  are  in  the  light  of  truth 
from  the  Word,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  11 ;  and  that  by  Euroj^e, 
tliey  to  ^7hom  the  Word  is  about  to  come,  is  plain. 

35.  For  the  Word  of  God,  and  for  the  testimony  of  Jesus 
Christ,  signifies  that  divine  truth  from  the  Word  mi^ht  be 
received  from  the  heart  and  so  in  the  light,  and  that  the  Lord's 
Humanity  might  be  acknowledged  to  be  divine ;  this  was  ex- 
plained above,  n.  6. 

36.  Iwas  i?i  the  spirit  on  the  Lord's  day,  signifies  a  spiritual 
54 


V.  10.]  ITIE   APOCALYPSE   E?:VEALED.  36 

state  at  tluit  time  from  divine  influx.  I  was  n  the  spirit,  signi- 
fies the  spiritual  state  in  which  he  was  when  he  was  in  visions, 
wliich  state  will  be  explained  in  what  follcws;  on  the  Lord's 
day,  signifies  influx  then  received  from  the  Lord;  for  in  that 
day  tlie  Lord  is  present,  hecause  the  day  is  holy  ;  from  which 
it  is  evident,  that  by  being  in  the  spirit  on  the  Lord's  day,  is 
signifled  a  spiritual  state  at  that  time  from  divine  influx.  Con- 
cerning the  prophets  it  is  written,  that  they  were  in  the  spirit 
or  in  vision,  also  that  the  Word  came  to  them  from  Jehovah : 
when  they  were  in  the  spirit  or  in  vision,  they  were  not  in  the- 
body,  but  in  their  spirit,  in  which  state  they  saw  such  things  as 
are  in  heaven  ;  but  when  the  AVord  came  to  them,  then  they 
Tvere  in  the  body,  and  heard  Jehovah  speak  ;  these  two  states  of 
the  i)rophets  are  carefully  to  be  distinguished.  In  the  state  of. 
vision  the  eyes  of  their  spirit  were  0])ened,  and  the  eyes  of  their 
body  shut ;  and  then  they  heard  what  the  angels  spake,  or  what 
Jehovah  spake  by  the  angels,  and  also  saw  the  things  which 
were  represented  to  them  in  heaven ;  and  then  they  sometimes 
seemed  to  themselves  to  be  carried  from  one  place  to  another,' 
the  body  still  remaining  in  its  place  ;  in  this  state  was  John 
Mdien  he  wrote  the  A})Ocalypse  ;  and  sometimes,  also,  Ezekiel,. 
Zechariah  and  Daniel ;  and  then  it  is  said  that  they  were  in 
vision,  or  in  the  spirit;  for  Ezekiel  says,  "The  spirit  took  mo 
lip,  and  brought  me  in  a  vision  by  the  Spirit  of  God  into 
Chaldea,  to  them  of  the  captivity  :  so  the  vision  that  I  had  seen 
went  up  from  me,"  chap.  xi.  1,  24.  It  is  said  also,  that  the 
spirit  took  him  np,  and  that  he  heard  behind  him  a  voice  of  a 
ij;reat  rushing  and  other  things,  iii.  12,  24  ;  also,  that  the  apirit 
lifted  him  up  between  the  earth  aiul  the  heaven,  and  brought 
liim  in  the  visions  of  God  to  Jerusalem,  and  he  saw  abomina- 
tions, viii.  3,  and  subsequent  verses.  In  like  manner  he  was 
in  a  vision  of  God^  or  in  the  spirit,  when  he  saw  the  four  animals 
which  were  cherubs,  i.  and  x.  ;  as  also  when  he  saw  the  new 
earth  and  the  new  temple,  and  the  angel  measuring  them,  xl. 
to  xlviii. ;  and  that  the  spirit  took  him  up,  xliii.  5.  The  same 
was  the  case  with  Zechariah,  in  whom  there  was  an  angel  at  the 
time,  when  he  saw  the  man  riding  among  the  myrtle  trees,  i.  S, 
(fee. :  When  he  saw  four  horns,  and  afterwards  a  man,  in  whose 
hand  was  a  measuring  line,  ii.  1,  5,  <fec. :  When  he  saw  Joshua, 
the  high  priest,  iii.  1,  &c. :  When  he  saw  the  candlestick  and 
the  two  olive  trees,  iv.  1,  &c. :  AVhen  he  saw  the  flying  roll  and 
the  ephah,  v.  1,  6 :  And  when  he  saw  the  four  chariots  coming 
out  from  between  two  mountains,  and  horses,  vi.  1.  In  a 
eimilar  state  was  Daniel,  when  he  saw  four  beasts  coming  up 
out  of  the  sea,  Dan.  vii.  1,  &c. :  And  when  he  saw  the  battle 
of  the  ram  and  the  he-goat,  viii.  1,  &c.  That  he  saw  these 
things  in  visions,  he  himself  saith,  vii.  1,  2,  T,  13  ;  viii.  2  ;  x.  1, 
7,  8  ;  and  that  the  angel  Gabriel  was  seen  by  him  in  a  vision^ 
ix.  21.  It  was  the  same  with  John ;  as  when  he  saw  the  Sou 
55 


37  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         [Chap.  I. 

of  Man  in  the  midst  of  the  seven  candlesticks,  Apoc.  i. :  Wlien 
he  saw  a  throne  in  heaven,  and  him  tliat  sat  thereon,  and  four 
animals  round  abont  the  throne,  iv. ;  When  he  saw  the  book 
sealed  wdtli  seven  seals,  v. :  When  he  saw  four  horses  coming 
out  of  the  book  that  was  opened,  vi. :  When  he  saw  tlie  lour 
angels  standing  upon  the  four  corners  of  the  earth,  vii, :  When 
he  saw  the  locusts  coming  out  of  the  bottomless  pit,  ix. :  When 
he  saw  the  angel  in  whose  hand  was  a  little  book,  which  he 
gave  him  to  eat,  x. :  When  he  heard  the  seven  angels  sound 
with  their  trumpets,  xi.  :  When  he  saw  the  dragon,  and  the 
woman  whom  the  dragon  persecuted,  and  the  former  making 
war  with  Michael,  xii. ;  and  afterwards  two  beasts  arising,  one 
out  of  the  sea,  and  the  other  out  of  the  eartli,  xiii. :  When  he 
saw  the  seven  angels  having  the  seven  last  plagues,  xv.,  xvi.  : 
When  he  saw  the  great  whore  sitting  npon  the  scarlet-coloured 
beast,  xvii.  18 ;  and  afterwards,  a  white  horse,  and  one  sitting 
thereon,  xix.  ;  and  lastly,  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth,  and 
then  the  New  Jerusalem  coming  down  out  of  heaven,  xxi.,  xxii. 
That  John  saw  these  things  in  the  sj)irit,  and  in  a  ■vision,  ho 
himself  says,  i.  10 ;  iv.  2  ;  ix,  17 ;  xxi.  10 ;  this  also  is  under- 
stood by  the  expression,  I  saw,  wherever  it  occurs.  It  appears, 
evidently,  from  these  examples,  that  to  be  in  the  spirit,  is  to  be 
in  vision ;  which  is  effected  by  the  opening  of  the  sight  of  a 
man's  spirit ;  which,  when  it  is  opened,  the  things  which  are  in 
the  spiritual  world  appear  as  clearly  as  the  things  which  are  in 
the  natural  world  appear  to  the  bodily  sight.  I  can  testify  that 
it  is  so,  from  many  years'  experience.  In  this  state  the  disciples 
were  when  they  saw  the  Lord  after  his  resurrection,  wlierefore 
it  is  said  that  their  eyes  were  opened,  Luke  xxiv.  30,  31.  Abra- 
ham was  in  a  similar  state  when  he  saM^  the  three  angels,  and 
discoursed  with  them.  So  were  Ilagar,  Gideon,  Joshua,  and 
others,  when  they  saw  the  angels  of  Jehovah ;  and,  in  like 
manner,  the  boy  of  Elisha,  when  he  saw  the  mountain  full  ol 
chariots  and  horses  of  fire  about  Elisha  ;  for  Elisha  prayed  and 
said,  "  Jehovah,  I  pray  thee,  oj)e7i  his  eyes,  that  he  may  see  ; 
and  Jehovah  oj^ened  the  eyes  of  the  young  man,  and  he  saw," 
2  Kings  vi.  17.  But  as  to  the  Word,  it  was  not  revealed  in  a 
state  of  the  spirit  or  in  vision,  but  was  dictated  by  the  Lord 
viva  voce  to  the  prophets  ;  therefore,  it  is  nowhere  said  that 
they  spake  it  from  the  Holy  Spirit,  but  from  Jehovah  ;  see 
The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Lord,  n.  53 
37-  And  1  heard  hehind  me  a  great  voice,  as  of  a  truinpet^ 
signifies  manifest  perception  of  divine  truth  revealed  tVora 
lieaven.  A  great  voice,  when  heard  from  heaven,  signifies 
divine  truth,  as  will  be  seen  below  ;  the  reason  why  it  was  heard 
as  the  sound  of  a  trumpet,  is,  because  when  divir.e  truth 
descends  from  heaven,  it  is  sometimes  so  heard  by  the  angels 
of  the  ultimate  heaven,  and  then  is  manifestly  perceived  ;  there- 
fore, by  a  voice  as  of  a  trumpet,  is  signified  manifest  perception* 
66 


V.  11.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  38 

of  the  aignification  of  tniinpet,  more  will  be  seen  below,  n.  397, 
519.  That  a  ^reat  voice,  wlieii  heard  from  heaven,  sigiiiiies 
divine  truth,  is  evitlent  from  the  foUowini^-  passag-(!S  :  "  The  voice 
ofJehovdh  is  upon  the  waters  ;"  "  the  voice  of  Jehovah  is  power- 
ful ;"  "  the  voice  of  Jehovah  is  full  of  majesty  ;"  ''  the  voice  of 
Jehovah  breaketh'  the  cedars  ;"  "  the  voice  of  Jehovah  divideth 
the  flames  of  tire;"  "the  voice  of  Jehovah  shaketh  the  wilder- 
ness;" "the  voice  of  Jehovah  maketh  the  hinds  to  calve,"  Ps. 
xxix.  3 — 9.  "  Sing  unto  God,  ye  kingdoms  of  the  earth,  lo,  ho 
doth  send  ont  his  voice,  and  that  a  mighty  voice^'"'  Psalm  Ixviii. 
32,  33.  "Jehovah  nttered  his  voice  before  his  army,  for  his 
camp  is  very  great,  for  he  is  strong  that  executcth  his  Word," 
Joel  ii.  11.  "Jehovah  shall  utter  his  voice  from  Jerusalem," 
Joel  iii.  16.  And  since  voice  signifies  divine  truth  from  the 
Lord,  therefore  the  Lord  said,  "  That  the  sheep  hear  his  voice^ 
that  they  know  his  voice;  and  other  sheep  I  have,  them  also  I 
must  bring,  and  they  shall  hear  my  voice:  my  sheep  hear  my 
voice,  and  I  know  them,  and  they  follow  me,"  John  x.  3,  4,  16, 
27.  And  in  another  place  :  "  Tlie  hour  is  coming,  and  now  is, 
when  the  dead  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  Man,  and  they 
that  hear  shall  live,"  John  v.  25.  Voice  here  denotes  the  divine 
truth  of  the  Lord  from  his  Word. 

38,  Saying,  I  am  the  Alpha  and  the  Omega,  the  First  and 
the  Last,  signifies  who  is  the  self-subsisting,  and  the  only-sub- 
sisting, from  tirst  principles  to  ultinuites,  from  whom  are  all 
things;  therefore,  who  is  the  self-subsisting  and  only-subsisting 
love,  tlie  self-subsisting  and  only-subsisting  wisdom,  and  the 
self-sul)sisting  and  only-subsisting  liie  in  himself;  consequently 
the  self-subsisting  and  only-subsisting  Creator,  Saviour,  and 
Illuminator  from  himself;  and  thence  the  All  in  all  of  heaven 
and  the  church :  who  alone  is  intinite  and  eternal,  and  who  is 
Jehovah  ;  and  that  the  Lord  is  He.  That  all  these  things,  and 
inlinitely  more,  are  contained  in  these  words,  may  be  seen 
above,  n.  13,  29.  It  was  there  said,  that  all  the  syllables  or 
letters  of  the  alphabet,  in  the  spiritual  world,  signify  things; 
and  that  thence  originates  the  speech  and  writing  of  those  who 
are  there;  and  that  therefore  the  Lord  describes  his  divinity 
and  inflnity  by  Al})ha  and  Omega;  by  which  is  signified  that 
he  is  the  All  in  all  of  heaven  and  the  church.  Kow  every 
letter  signifying  a  thing  in  the  spiritual  world,  and  thence  in 
the  language  of  the  angels;  therefore  David  wrc^te  the  119th 
Psalm,  in  order,  according  to  the  letters  of  the  alphal)et,  ]>e- 
ginning  with  Aleph  and  ending  with  Thau,  as  may  appear 
from  tlie  initials  of  the  verses ;  the  like  appears  in  I'salm  cxi., 
but  not  so  evidently.  Therefore,  also,  Abram  was  called  Abra- 
ham, and  Sarai  Sarah ;  which  was  done  to  the  intent  that  in 
heaven,  by  Abraham  and  Sarah,  they  should  not  be  understood, 
but  the  divine,  as  is  also  the  case,  for  the  letter  II  involves 
6T 


39 — 42  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         [Chap.  i. 

Infinity,  being  only  an  aspirate :  more  on  tliis  snbjeet  may  be 
Been  above,  n.  29. 

39.  And  vjJiat  thou  seest,  write  in  a  hook;  that  'his  signifies 
that  it  may  be  revealed  to  posterity,  is  evident  vithout  ex- 
planation. 

40.  And  se7id  \it'\  to  the  churches  which  are  in  Asia,  signi 
fies  for  those  in  the  Christian  world,  who  are  in  the  light  of 
truth  from  the  Word.  That  they  are  meant  by  the  churches  iu 
Asia,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  10,  11. 

41.  Unto  JE'phesus,  und  unto  Smyrna,  and  unto  Pergamos, 
and  unto  Thyatira,  and  unto  Sardis,  and  imto  Philadelj^hiay 
and  unto  Laodicea,  signifies  specifically  according  to  the  state 
of  reception  of  each.  That  all  states  of  reception  of  the  Lord 
and  of  his  church  are  signified  by  these  seven  names,  in  the 
spiritual  sense,  will  be  seen  below ;  for  John,  when  he  received 
this  command,  was  in  a  spiritual  state,  and  in  tliat  state  nothing 
is  mentioned  by  name  which  does  not  signify  some  thing  or 
state ;  therefore  these  things  wdiich  were  written  by  John,  were 
not  sent  to  any  church  in  those  places,  but  were  told  to  their 
angels,  by  wdiom  are  understood  those  who  receive.  That  by 
all  the  names  of  persons  and  places  throughout  the  whole  Word, 
are  meant  spiritual  things,  is  abundantly  shown  in  the  Arcana 
Coelestia,  as  what  is  meant  by  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob  ;  also 
by  Israel,  and  by  the  names  of  his  twelve  sons ;  as  also,  what 
is  meant  by  various  places  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  by  places 
in  the  vicinity  of  that  land  ;  as  wdiat  by  Egypt,  Syria,  Assyria, 
and  other  places.  It  is  the  same  with  these  seven  names.  But 
he  who  chooses  to  abide  in  the  literal  sense,  let  him  do  so,  since 
that  sense  conjoins;  only  let  him  know,  that  by  those  names 
the  angels  perceive  things  and  states  of  the  church. 

42.  And  I  turned  to  see  the  voice  that  sjxike  with  tne,  signi- 
fies inversion  of  the  state  of  those  who  are  in  good  of  life,  with 
respect  to  the  perception  of  truth  in  the  Word,  when  they  turn 
themselves  to  the  Lord.  John  says  that  he  heard  a  voice  be- 
hind him  (verse  10),  and  now,  that  he  turned  to  see  the  voice 
and  again,  that  being  turned,  he  saw  seven  candlesticks ;  from 
which  it  is  evident,  that  he  heard  a  voice  from  behind,  and  that 
he  turned  himself,  to  see  from  whence  it  proceeded  :  that  there 

s  an  arcanum  in  this,  is  evident;  the  secret  is  that  before  man 
urns  himself  to  the  Lord,  and  acknowledges  him  as  the  God 
of  heaven  and  earth,  he  cannot  see  divine  truth  in  the  Word ; 
the  reason  is,  because  God  is  one,  bojli  in  person  and  in  essence, 
in  whom  there  is  a  trinity ;  and  that  God  is  the  Lord ;  there- 
fore, they  wdio  acknowledge  a  trinity  of  persons,  look  primarily 
to  the  Father,  and  indeed  to  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  rarely  to  the 
Lord,  and  if  they  do  look  up  to  the  Lord,  the}-  think  of  his 
Humanity  as  of  a  common  man  ;  when  a  man  does  this,  he 
can  by  no  means  be  illuminated  in  the  Word,  for  the  Lord  is 
68 


V.  Id.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  43 

the  Word,  for  it  is  from  liim  and  concerning  him :  therefore 
they  who  do  not  approach  the  Lord  alone,  see  liim  and  liis 
Word  behind  them,  and  not  before  them ;  or  backward,  and 
not  in  front.  This  is  the  arcanum  wliich  lies  concealed  in  these 
words  :  That  John  heard  a  voice  behind  him,  and  that  he  turned 
bo  see  the  voice,  and,  being  turned,  saw  seven  gohlen  candle- 
sticks, and  in  the  midst  of  them  the  Son  of  Man  ;  for  the  voice 
which  he  heard  came  from  the  Son  of  Man,  who  is  the  Lord. 
That  the  Lord  alone  is  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth,  he  now 
teaches  in  a  manifest  voice,  for  he  says,  "  I  am  the  Alpha  and 
the  Omega,  the  Beginning  and  the  End,  saith  the  Lord,  who 
is,  and  who  was,  and  who  is  to  come,"  verse  8 ;  and  here,  "  I 
am  the  Alpha  and  the  Omega,  the  First  and  the  Last,"  verse 
11 ;  and  afterwards,  "  I  am  the  First  and  the  Last,"  verse  17, 
and  ii.  8.  That  by  a  voice,  when  from  the  Lord,  Divine  Truth 
is  imderstood,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  37.  And  that  by  John 
are  understood  they  of  the  church,  who  are  in  good  of  life,  n. 
6,  6.  From  these  things  it  may  now  appear,  that  by  these 
words,  "  And  I  turned  to  see  the  voice  which  spake  with  me," 
is  siguified  inversion  of  the  state  of  those  who  are  in  good  of 
life,  as  to  the  perception  of  truth  in  the  Word,  when  they  turn 
themselves  to  the  Lord. 

43,  And  heing  turned,  I  saw  seven  golden  candlesticks,  sig- 
nifies the  Xew  Ciinrch,  which  will  be  in  illumination  from  the 
Lord  out  of  the  Word.  That  the  seven  candlesticks  are  the 
seven  churches,  is  said  in  the  last  verse  of  this  chapter ;  and 
that  by  the  seven  churches  are  to  be  understood  all  who  are  in 
the  Christian  world,  and  accede  to  the  church,  may  be  seen 
above,  n.  10  ;  and  specifically  according  to  the  state  of  reception 
of  each,  n.  4L  The  reason  why  the  Kew  Church  is  meant  by 
the  seven  candlesticks  is,  because  in  it,  and  in  the  midst  of  it, 
the  Lord  is  ;  for  it  is  said,  that  in  the  midst  of  the  seven  candle- 
sticks he  saw  one  like  unto  the  Son  of  Man,  and  by  the  Son  of 
Man  is  meant  the  Lord  as  to  the  Word.  They  appeared  to  be 
golden  candlesticks,  because  gold  signifies  good,  and  every 
church  is  a  church  from  good,  which  is  formed  by  truths ;  that 
gold  signifies  good,  will  be  seen  in  what  follows.  Those  candle- 
sticks were  not  placed  one  close  to  another,  or  in  contact,  but 
at  certain  distances,  forming  a  kind  of  circle,  as  is  evident  from 
these  words  in  the  subsequent  chapter,  "These  tilings  saith  he, 
who  walketh  in  the  midst  of  the  seven  golden  candlesticks," 
verse  1.  Nothing  is  said  of  the  lamps  of  those  candlesticks ; 
but  in  what  follows  it  is  said,  that  the  holy  Jerusalem,  that  is, 
the  New  Church,  hath  no  need  of  the  sun,  neither  of  the  moon, 
for  the  Laml)  is  the  light  [lamp]  thereof,  and  the  nations  which 
are  saved  shall  walk  in  liis  light,  Apoc.  xxi.  23,  24.  And 
moreover,  they  need  no  lamp,  for  the  Loi'd  God  giveth  them 
light,  xxii.  5  ;  for  they  who  will  be  of  the  Lord's  New  Chui'cb, 
59 


44:  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  [Chap,  l 

can  only  be  candlesticks  which  will  have  their  light  from  the 
Lord.  Bv  the  golden  candlestick  in  the  tabernacle,  was  repre- 
sented the  church  as  to  illumination  from  the  Lord,  concerning 
\vhich  candlestick,  see  Exod.  xxv.  11  to  the  end ;  xxxvii.  17 — 
20 ;  Lev.  xxiv.  3,  4 ;  Numb.  viii.  2,  3,  4 ;  that  it  represented 
the  Lord's  church  as  to  divine  love  spiritual,  which  is  love 
towards  the  neighbour,  may  be  seen  in  The  Arcana  Ccelestta, 
n.  9548,  9555,  9558,  9561,  9572,  9783  ;  also,  below,  n.  493. 
By  the  candlestick  in  Zechariah  iv.,  is  also  signified  the  New 
Church  to  be  established  by  the  Lord,  because  it  signifies  the 
new  house  of  God,  or  the  new  temple ;  as  is  evident  from  what 
follows  there  ;  and  by  the  house  of  God,  or  temple,  the  church 
is  signified,  and  in  a  supreme  sense,  the  Lord's  Divine  Hu- 
manity, as  he  himself  teaches,  John  ii.  19 — 21,  and  elsewhere: 
but  it  shall  be  shown  what  is  signified  in  its  order,  in  the  4tli 
chapter  of  Zechariah,  when  he  saw  the  candlestick.  By  what 
is  contained  from  verse  1  to  7,  is  signified  the  illumination  of 
the  New  Church  by  the  Lord,  from  the  good  of  love  by  truth ; 
the  olive  trees  there  signify  the  church  as  to  the  good  of  love : 
by  the  contents  from  verse  8  to  10,  is  signified  that  these 
things  are  from  the  Lord ;  by  Zerubbabel,  who  is  to  build  the 
house,  thus  the  church,  the  Lord  is  represented ;  by  what  is 
contained  from  verse  11  to  14,  is  signified  that  in  that  church 
there  will  also  be  truths  from  a  celestial  origin :  this  expla- 
nation of  that  chapter  was  given  me  from  the  Lord  through 
heaven. 

44.  And  in  the  midst  of  the  seven  candlesticks  one  like  unto 
the  Son  of  3fan,  signifies  the  Lord  as  to  the  Word,  from  whom 
that  church  is.  It  is  well  known  from  the  Word,  that  the  Lord 
called  himself  the  Son  of  God,  and  also  the  Son  of  Mayi ;  that 
by  the  Son  of  God  he  meant  himself  as  to  his  Divine  Hu- 
manity, and  by  the  Son  of  Man,  himself  as  to  the  Word,  is 
fully  demonstrated  in  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  con- 
cerning the  Lord,  n.  19 — 28 ;  and  as  it  is  there  fully  confirmed 
from  the  Word,  it  is  unnecessary  to  add  any  further  confirma- 
tion here.  Now,  as  the  Lord  represented  himself  unto  John 
as  the  Word,  therefore  as  seen  of  him,  he  is  called  the  Son  of 
Man.  He  represented  himself  as  the  Word,  because  the  New 
Church  is  the  subject  treated  of,  which  is  a  church  from  the 
Word,  and  according  to  the  understanding  thereof;  that  the 
church  is  from  the  AVord,  and  that  such  as  its  understanding  of 
the  Word  is,  such  is  the  church,  may  be  seen  in  The  Doctrine 
of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Sacred  Scripture,  n.  76 — 
79.  As  the  church  is  a  church  from  the  Lord  through  the 
Word,  therefore  the  Son  of  Man  was  seen  in  the  midst  of  the 
candlesticks ;  in  the  midst  signifies  in  the  inmost,  from  which 
the  things  which  are  round  about,  or  which  are  without,  de- 
rive their  essence,  in  this  instance,  their  light  and  intelligence ; 
60 


V.  13.J  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  45 

that  tlie  inm<>st  is  the  all  in  the  thins^s  wliich  are  round  about, 
or  "witliout,  is  :il)undantl}'  shown  in  The  Anfjclic  Wisdom  con- 
cerning the  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom^  it  is  like 
light  or  flame  in  the  centre,  from  whit-h  the  circumference  is 
illuminated  and  wanned.  In  the  midst,  has  the  same  signifi- 
cation in  the  following  passages  in  the  Word:  "Cry  out  and 
shout,  thou  inhahitant  of  Zion ;  for  great  is  the  Holy  One  of 
Israel  in  ilic  midst  of  thee,"  Isaiah  xii.  6.  "  God,  my  King  of 
okl,  W(^rking  salvation  in  tlie  midst  of  the  earth,"  Psa'.m  Ixxiv. 
12.  "  We  have  thought  of  thy  loving  kindness  in  the  midst 
of  his  temple,"  Fsalm  xlviii.  9.     "  God  standeth  in  the  congrc- 

fation  of  the  mighty;  lie  judgetli  in  the  midst  of  the  gods," 
'salm  Ixxxii.  1.  They  are  called  gods  who  are  in  divine 
truths  from  the  Lord,  and,  al)stractedly,  the  truths  themselves. 
"  Behold,  I  send  an  angel  before  thee,  beware  of  him  and  obey 
his  voice,  for  my  name  is  in  the  tnidst  of  him,"  Exod.  xxiii.  20, 
21.  The  name  of  Jehovah  is  every  thing  Divine  ;  in  the  midst, 
is  in  the  inmost,  and  thereby  in  the  all  of  him.  The  midst  also 
signifies  the  inmost,  and  thence  the  all,  in  many  other  passages 
in  the  Word,  where  evils  are  also  treated  of,  as  in  Isaiah  xxiv, 
13  ;  Jqrem.  xxiii.  9  ;  Psalm  v.  9 ;  ix.  4,  5 ;  xxxvi.  2 ;  Iv.  7 ;  Ixii.  4. 
These  passages  are  adduced  in  order  to  show,  that  in  the  midst 
of  the  candlesticks  signifies  in  the  inmost,  from  which  the 
church  and  every  thing  belonging  to  it  is  derived  ;  for  the  church 
and  every  thing  that  belongs  to  it  is  from  the  Lord  through  the 
Word.  That  candlesticks  signify  the  New  Church,  may  bo 
seen  above,  n.  43. 

45.  Clothed  with  a  garment  down  to  the  foot^  signifies  the 
proceeding  divine,  which  is  divine  truth.  The  reason  why  a 
garment  down  to  the  foot  signifies  the  proceeding  divine,  which 
is  divine  truth,  is,  because  garments,  in  the  AVord,  signify  truths, 
thence  talaris^  wdiich  is  an  outer  garment  or  vest,  when  the 
Lord  is  treated  of,  signifies  the  proceeding  divine  truth.  That 
garments,  in  the  Word,  signify  truths,  is,  because  in  heaven  the 
angels  are  clothed  according  to  the  truths  prt»cecding  from  their 
good  ;  concerning  which  see  the  work  on  Heaven  and  Jlell^  n. 
177 — 182.  In  what  follows  it  will  also  be  seen,  that  nothing 
else  is  understood  by  garments  in  the  Word  in  its  si)iritu;u 
sense  ;  therefore  that  nothing  else  is  understood  by  the  Lord's 
garments,  when  he  was  transfigured,  which  appeared  white  as 
the  light.  Matt.  xvii.  1—4;  Mark  ix.  2—8;  Luke  ix.  28—36. 
Nor  is  any  thing  else  understood  by  the  Lord's  garments  which 
the  soldiers  divided,  John  xix.  23,  24.  That  similar  things  are 
represented,  and  therefore  signified,  by  the  garments  of  Aaron, 
may  be  seen  in  The  Arcana  Ccelestia^  n.  9814, 10,068  ;  particu- 
larly what  is  signified  by  the  ephod,  n.  9477,  9824,  10,005 ; 
what  by  the  robe,  n.  9825, 10,005 ;  what  by  the  coat,  n.  9826, 
0942  ;  and  wdiat  by  the  mitre,  n.  9827  :  for  Aaron  represented 
61 


*6,  47  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         [Chap.  1. 

the  priestly  office  of  the  Lord.  Concerning  the  signification  cf 
garments  in  the  Word,  see  beh')w,  n.  16G,  328. 

46.  And  girt  about  the  paps  with  a  golden  girdle^  signifies 
the  proceeding,  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  conjoining  divine, 
which  is  divine  good.  That  a  golden  girdle  has  this  significa- 
tion, is,  because  by  the  Lord's  breast,  and  especially  by  the 
paps,  his  divine  love  is  signified  ;  thence,  by  the  golden  girdle 
which  girded  them,  is  signified  the  proceeding,  and  at  the  same 
time  the  conjoining  divine,  which  is  the  divine  good  of  his 
divine  love :  moreover  gold  signifies  good  ;  see  below,  n.  913. 
A  zone  or  girdle,  in  the  Word,  likewise  signifies  a  common 
band,  whereby  all  things  are  kept  in  their  order  and  connexion  ; 
as  in  Isaiah  :  "  There  shall  come  forth  a  rod  out  of  the  stem  of 
Jesse,  and  righteousness  shall  be  tfte  girdle  of  his  loins,  and 
faithfulness  iJte  girdle  of  his  reins,"  xi.  1 — 5  ;  the  rod  coming 
out  of  the  stem  of  Jesse  is  the  Lord.  That  the  girdle  of  the 
ephod  and  the  belt  of  Aaron's  coat,  signified  conjunction,  may 
be  seen  in  The  Arcana  Ccelestia,  n.  9837,  9944.  As  a  girdle 
signifies  a  band  conjoining  the  goods  and  truths  of  the  church, 
therefore  when  the  church  among  the  children  of  Israel  was 
destroyed,  Jeremiah  the  prophet  was  commanded  to  procure 
himself  a  girdle,  and  put  it  upon  his  loins,  and  then  to  hide  it 
in  a  hole  of  a  rock  beside  the  Euphrates ;  and  at  the  end  of 
days,  when  he  took  it,  behold  it  was  rotten,  and  was  profitable 
for  nothing,  Jerem.  xiii.  1 — 13  ;  by  which  was  represented, 
that  at  that  time  there  was  no  good  in  the  church,  and  thence 
that  truths  were  dissipated.  The  same  is  signified  by  girdle  in 
Isaiah:  "Instead  of  a  girdle  there  shall  be  a  rent,"  iii.  24; 
and  also  in  other  places.  That  by  the  paps  or  breasts  divine 
-ove  is  signified,  is  evident  from  those  passages  in  the  Word 
where  they  are  mentioned,  as  also  from  their  correspondence 
with  love. 

AJ.  His  head^  and  his  hairs,  were  white  liJce  wool,  as  white 
a^s  snoio,  signifies  the  divine  love  of  the  divine  wisdom  in  first 
principles  and  in  ultimates.  By  the  head  of  a  man  is  signified 
the  all  of  his  life;  and  the  all  of  man's  life  has  relation  to  love 
and  wisdom,  therefore  by  the  head  is  signified  wisdom,  and  also 
love  ;  but  as  there  is  no  love  without  its  wisdom,  nor  wisdom 
without  its  love,  therefore  it  is  the  love  of  wisdom,  which  is 
understood  by  the  head  ;  and  when  the  Lord  is  spoken  of,  it  is 
the  divine  love  of  divine  M'isdom.  But  the  sign  tication  of  the 
head  will  be  shown  from  the  Word,  below,  n,  538,  565.  Since, 
therefore,  by  the  head  is  understood  love,  and  also  wisdom,  in 
their  first  principles,  it  follows  that  by  hair  is  to  be  understood 
love  and  wisdom  in  their  ultimates  ;  and  because  hairs  are  here 
spoken  of  the  Son  of  Man,  who  is  the  Lord  as  to  the  Word,  by 
his  hairs  are  signified  the  divine  good  which  is  of  love,  and  th.e 
divine  truth  which  is  of  wisdom,  in  the  ultimates  of  the  Word  ; 
62 


r.  14.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALFD.  47 

and  the  ultiinates  of  tlio  Word  are  what  are  c<^mtaincd  in  its 
literal  sense:  that  the  Word  in  this  sense  is  sii2;nitied  hy  the 
hail's  of  the  Son  of  Man,  or  of  tlie  Lord,  seems  a  ])aradox,  but 
yet  it  is  true;  this  may  appear  from  the  passages  in  tlie  Word 
adduced  in  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  concerning  the 
Sacred  /Scripiio'e,  n.  35 — 49 ;  where  it  is  also  shown,  that  the 
Nazarites  in  tlie  Israelitish  church  represented  the  Lord  as  to 
the  W(ti'd  in  ultimates,  wliich  is  its  literal  sense;  for  Xazarite, 
in  the  Ilehrew  language,  signities  hair,  or  a  head  of  hair  ;  lience 
the  strength  of  Samson,  who  was  a  iS^azarite  from  the  womb, 
was  in  his  hair  ;  that  in  like  manner  divine  truth  is  in  its  power, 
in  the  literal  sense  of  the  Word,  may  be  seen  in  the  above- 
mentioned  Doct)'ine  concerning  the  Sacred  Sci'iptiire^  n.  37 — 49; 
therefore,  also,  the  shaving  of  the  head  was  strictly  prohibited 
the  high  priest  and  his  sons ;  and,  for  the  same  reason,  forty- 
two  children  were  torn  in  pieces  by  two  bears,  because  they 
called  Elisha,  Baldhead.  Elisha,  as  well  as  Elijah,  represented 
the  Lord  as  to  the  Word ;  bald  signilies  the  Word  without  its 
ultimate,  which,  as  was  observed,  is  its  literal  sense,  and  bears 
signify  that  sense  of  the  AVord  separated  from  its  internal  sense  ; 
they  who  separate  them,  appear  also  in  the  spiritual  world,  at  a 
distance,  like  bears,  whence  it  is  evident  why  this  was  done  to 
the  children  :  therefore  also  to  induce  baldness  was  the  greatest 
disgrace,  and  a  mark  of  extreme  grief.  For  which  reason,  when 
the  Israelitish  nation  had  perverted  all  the  literal  sense  of  the 
Word,  this  lamentation  was  made  over  them:  "Her  Nazarites 
were  purer  than  snow,  they  were  whiter  than  milk  ; — their 
risage  is  blacker  than  a  coal,  they  are  not  known  in  the  streets," 
Lament,  iv.  7,  8.  Also :  "  Every  head  was  made  bald,  and 
pvery  shoulder  was  peeled,"  Ezek.  xxix.  18.  And:  "Shame 
shall  be  upon  all  faces,  and  baldness  upon  all  their  heads," 
iL'zek,  vii.  18.  In  like  manner,  Isaiah  xv.  2  ;  Jerem.  xlviii, 
6l ;  Amos  viii.  10.  As  the  children  of  Israel  dispersed  by 
talses  all  the  literal  sense  of  the  Word,  therefore  the  prophet 
Ezekiel  was  commanded  to  represent  this  by  shaving  his  head 
with  a  razor,  and  to  burn  with  fire  a  third  part  of  the  hair,  and 
smite  a  third  part  with  a  sword,  and  scatter  a  third  part  in  tho 
wind,  and  to  collect  some  in  his  skirts,  and  afterwards  cast  them 
also  into  the  fire,  Ezek.  v.  1 — 4.  Therefore,  also,  it  is  said  in 
Micah  :  "  Make  thee  bald  and  poll  thee  for  thy  delicate  children, 
enlarge  thy  baldness  as  the  eagle;  for  they  are  gone  into  cap- 
tivity from  thee,"  i.  16.  The  delicate  children  are  the  genuine 
truths  of  the  church  from  the  Word.  And  as  Nebuchadnezzar, 
king  of  Babylon,  represented  the  Babylonian  falsification  of  tho 
Word,  and  destruction  of  all  truth  therein,  therefore  it  came  to 
pass  that  his  hairs  were  grown  like  eagles'  feathers,  Dan.  iv.  33. 
By  reason  that  hairs  signified  that  holy  principle  of  the  Word 
it  is  said  of  the  Nazarite,  "  That  he  should  not  shave  the  hair  ot 
03 


48  THE   APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Clia]\  i. 

his  head,  because  the  consecration  of  his  God  is  rpon  liis  head," 
Numb.  vi.  1 — 21  ;  and  therefore  it  was  ordained,  "That  tho 
high  priest  and  his  sons  should  not  uncover  tlieir  heads,  lest 
thev  should  die,  and  lest  wrath  should  come  upon  all  the  people," 
Levit.  X.  6.  Now  as  by  hairs  is  signified  divine  truth  in  ita 
ultimates,  which,  in  the  church,  is  the  AVord  in  its  literal  sense 
therefore,  also,  the  same  is  said  of  the  Ancient  of  Dajs  in 
Daniel :  "'  I  beheld  till  the  thrones  were  cast  down,  and  the 
Ancient  of  Davs  did  sit,  whose  garment  was  Avhite  as  snow,  and 
the  hair  of  his  head  like  pure  wool,"  vii.  9 ;  that  the  Ancient 
of  Dajs  is  the  Lord,  appears  evidently  in  Micah  :  "  But  thou 
Bethlehem  Ephratah,  though  thou  be  little  among  the  thousands 
of  Judah,  yet  out  of  thee  shall  he  come  forth  unto  me  that  is  to 
be  ruler  in  Israel,  whose  goings  forth  have  been  from  of  old, 
from  everlasting,"  v.  2;  and  in  Isaiah,  where  he  is  called  the 
Father  of  Eternity,  ix.  5.  From  these  passages,  and  many 
others,  which  are  not  adduced  by  reason  of  their  abundance,  it 
may  appear,  that  by  the  head  and  hairs  of  the  Son  of  Man, 
which  were  white  like  wool,  as  white  as  snow,  is  understood  tha 
divine  of  love  and  wisdom,  in  first  principles  and  in  ultimates; 
and  as  by  the  Son  of  Man,  the  Lord  is  understood  as  to  the 
Word,  it  follows,  that  this  also  is  understood  in  first  principles 
and  in  ultimates ;  otherwise  to  what  purpose  would  the  Lord 
here  in  the  Apocalypse,  and  the  Ancient  of  Days  in  Daniel,  be 
described  as  to  the  hair  %  That  by  hair,  the  literal  sense  of  the 
"VYord  is  signified,  appears  evidently  from  those  who  are  in  the 
spiritual  world ;  they  who  have  held  the  literal  sense  of  the 
Word  in  contempt,  appear  bald  there;  and  on  the  contrary, 
they  who  have  loved  the  literal  sense  of  the  Word,  appear  there 
with  becoming  hair.  It  is  said  white  as  wool,  and  as  snow,  be- 
cause wool  signifies  good  in  ultimates,  and  snow,  truth  in  ulti- 
mates ;  as  also  in  Isaiah  i.  18 :  for  wool  is  from  sheep,  by 
which  is  signified  the  good  of  charity,  and  snow  is  from  water, 
by  which  are  signified  the  truths  of  faith. 

48.  And  his  eyes  were  as  a  flame  of  fire,  signifies  the  divine 
wisdom  of  the  divine  love.  By  eyes,  in  the  Word,  is  meant  the 
understanding,  and  thence,  by  the  eye-sight,  intelligence;  there- 
fore, when  spoken  of  the  Lord,  the  divine  wisdom  is  understood  ; 
but  by  a  flame  of  fire,  is  signified  spiritual  love,  which  is  charity  ; 
wherefore,  when  spoken  of  the  Lord,  the  divine  love  is  under- 
stood ;  hence,  then,  by  his  eyes  being  like  a  flame  of  fire,  is  sig- 
nified the  divine  wisdom  of  the  divine  love.  That  the  eye  sig- 
nifies the  understanding,  is,  because  they  correspond  ;  for  as 
the  eye  sees  from  natural  light,  so  does  the  understanding  from 
spiritual  light ;  wherefore  to  see  is  predicated  of  both.  That  by 
eye  in  the  Word,  the  understanding  is  signified,  is  evident  from 
the  follov,'ing  passages  :  "  Bring  forth  the  blind  people  that  have 
eyes^  and  the  deaf  that  have  ears,"  Isaiah  xliii.  8.  "  In  that 
64 


V.  14.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  EEVEALED.  4i 

day  shall  the  deaf  hear  the  words  of  the  book,  and  the  eyes  of 
the  blind  sliall  see  out  of  obscurity,"  Isaiali  xxix.  18.  "  Then 
the  eyes  of  the  blind  shall  be  opened,  and  the  ears  of  the  deaf 
shall  be  unstopped,"  Isaiah  xxxv.  5,  6.  "  I  will  give  thee  for 
a  light  of  the  Gentiles,  to  open  the  blind  eyes,''''  Jsaiah  xlii.  7. 
This  is  spoken  of  the  Lord,  who,  when  he  conies,  will  open  the 
understanding  of  those  who  are  in  ignorance  of  the  truth.  That 
this  is  meant  by  opening  the  eyes,  is  moreover  evident  from  the 
following  passages:  "J^ake  the  heart  of  this  people  ftit,  and 
shut  their  eyes,  lest  they  see  with  their  eyes,"  Isaiah  vi.  9,  10 ; 
John  xii.  40.  "Jehovah  hath  poured  out  upon  you  the  spirit 
of  deep  sleep,  and  hath  closed  your  eyes  /  the  prophets,  and  your 
rulers,  the  seers,  hath  he  covered,"  Isaiah  xxix.  10  ;  xxx.  10. 
"  And  shntteth  his  eyes  from  seeing  evil,"  xxxiii.  15.  "  Hear 
this,  O  rebellious  house,  which  have  eyes  to  see  and  see  not," 
Ezek.  xii.  2.  "  Woe  to  the  idle  shepherd  that  leaveth  the 
flock  !  the  sword  shall  be  upon  his  arm  and  upon  his  right  eye, 
and  his  i-ight  eye  shall  be  utterly  darkened,"  Zech.  xi.  IT. 
"And  this  shall'be  the  plague,  wherewith  Jehovah  will  smite 
all  the  people  that  have  fought  against  Jerusalem  ;  their  eyes 
shall  consume  away  in  their  holes,"  Zech.  xiv.  12.  "  I  will 
smite  every  horse  with  astonishment, — and  every  horse  of  the 
people  with  blindness,"  Zech.  xii.  4.  Horse,  in  the  spiritual 
sense,  denotes  the  understanding  of  the  Word,  n.  298.  "Hear 
me,  Jehovah,  my  God,  lighten  mine  eyes,  lest  I  sleep  the  sleep 
of  death,"  Psalm  xiii.  3.  That  in  these  passages,  by  eye  is 
signified  the  understanding,  every  one  sees.  Hence  it  is  evident 
what  tlie  Lord  meant  by  eye  in  these  places  :  "  The  light  of  the 
body  is  the  eye  ;  if  therefore  thine  eye  be  single,  thy  whole  body 
shall  be  full  of  light.  But  if  thine  eye  be  evil,  thy  Nvhole  body 
shall  be  full  of  darkness.  If  therefore  the  light  that  is  in  thee 
be  darkness,  how  great  is  that  darkness !"  Matt.  vi.  22,  23 ; 
Luke  xi.  34.  "  And  if  thy  right  eye  offend  thee,  ])lu-ck  it  out, 
and  cast  it  from  thee :  for  it  is  better  for  thee  to  enter  into  life 
with  one  eye,  rather  than  having  two  eyes  to  be  cast  i'nto  hell- 
fire,"  Matt.  V.  29 ;  xviii.  9.  By  eye  in  these  places  is  not 
meant  the  eye,  but  the  understanding  of  truth.  As  by  eye  is 
signified  the  understanding  of  truth,  therefore  it  was  among  the 
statutes  of  the  children  of  Israel,  that  a  blind  man,  or  one 
that  hath  a  blemish  in  his  eye,  of  the  seed  of  Aaron,  should 
not  come  nigh  to  offer  sacrifice,  nor  enter  Avithin  the  vail,  Levit. 
xxi.  18,  20;  moreover,  that  any  thing  blind  should  not  be 
offered  as  a  sacrifice,  Levit.  xxii.  22;  Malacln  i.  8.  From  these 
considerations  it  is  evident  what  is  meant  by  eye,  when  predi- 
cated of  a  man  ;  hence  it  fiUows,  that  by  eye,  when  predicated 
of  the  Lord,  his  divine  wisdom  is  understood,  as  also  his  divino 
omniscience  and  providence;  as  in  these  passages:  "  0])en 
thine  eyes,  Jehovah,  and  see,"  Isaiah  xxxvii.  18.  "  For  I  will 
65  K 


49  THE    APOCALYrSE   REVEALED.  [CllRp.  i. 

set  mine  eyes  upon  them  for  good, — and  I  will  build  them," 
Jerem.  xxiv.  6.  "  Behold  the  eye  of  Jehovah  is  upon  them 
that  fear  him,"  Psalm  xxxiii.  18.  "  Jehovah  is  in  his  holy 
temple, — his  eyes  behold,  his  eye-lids  try  the  children  of  men," 
Psalm  xi.  4.  As  by  cherubs  is  signified,  the  care  and  provi- 
dence of  the  Lord  that  the  spiritual  sense  of  the  Word  should 
not  be  violated  ;  therefore  it  is  said  of  the  four  animals  -which 
were  cherubs,  that  they  were  full  of  eyes  before  and  behind, 
and  their  wings  were  full  of  eyes  within,  Apoc.  iv.  6,  8  :  also, 
that  the  wheels  upon  which  the  cherubs  were  drawn,  were  full 
of  eyes  round  about,  Ezek.  x,  12.  That  by  a  flame  of  lire  is 
meant  his  divine  love,  will  be  seen  in  what  follows,  when  flame 
and  Are  are  mentioned ;  and  because  it  is  said,  that  his  eyes 
were  like  a  flame  of  Are,  the  divine  wisdom  of  his  divine  love 
is  signified.  That  in  the  Lord  there  is  the  divine  love  of  divine 
wisdom,  and  the  divine  wisdom  of  divine  love,  and  thus  a 
reciprocal  union  of  both,  is  revealed  in  The  Angelic  Wisdom 
concerning  the  Divine  Love  and  the  Dimne  Wisdom,  n.  34 — ■ 
39 ;  and  elsewhere. 

49.  And  his  feet  were  like  unto  fine  hrass,  as  if  they  hurned 
in  a  furnace,  signifies  divine  good  natural :  the  Lord's  feet  sig- 
nify his  divine  natural ;  fire,  or  what  burns,  signifies  good  ;  and 
fine  brass  signifies  the  good  of  truth  natural ;  therefore,  by  the 
feet  of  the  Son  of  Man  like  unto  fine  brass,  as  if  they  burned 
in  a  furnace,  is  signified  divine  good  natural.  That  his  feet 
have  this  signification  is  from  correspondence.  Thei'e  is  in  the 
Lord,  and  therefore  from  the  Lord,  the  divine  celestial  princi- 
ple, the  divine  spiritual,  and  the  divine  natural ;  the  divine 
celestial  is  understood  by  the  head  of  the  Son  of  Man ;  the 
divine  spiritual,  by  his  eyes,  and  by  his  breast,  which  was  girt 
about  with  a  golden  girdle  ;  and  the  divine  natural,  by  his  feet ; 
because  these  three  are  in  the  Lord,  therefore  also  they  are  in 
the  angelic  heaven ;  the  third  or  supreme  heaven  is  in  the 
divine  celestial  principle ;  the  second  or  middle  heaven  is  in 
the  divine  spiritual ;  and  the  first  or  ultimate  heaven  in  the 
divine  natural.  In  like  manner,  the  church  upon  earth  :  for 
the  universal  heaven  before  the  Lord  is  as  one  man,  in  which 
they  who  are  in  the  Lord's  divine  celestial  principle  constitute 
the  head  ;  they  who  are  in  the  divine  spiritual  constitute  the 
body  ;  and  they  who  are  in  the  divine  natural  constitute  the 
feet :  hence,  also,  in  every  man,  by  reason  of  his  being  created 
after  the  image  of  God,  there  are  these  three  degrees,  and,  as 
these  are  opened,  he  becomes  an  angel  either  of  the  third,  or 
of  the  second,  or  of  the  ultimate  heaven  :  hence  also  it  is,  that 
in  the  Word  there  are  three  senses  ;  the  celestial,  the  spiritual, 
and  the  natural.  This  may  be  seen  in  The  Angelic  Wisdom 
concerning  the  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdojn,  particu- 
larly in  the  third  part,  which  treats  of  these  three  degrees. 
66 


V.  15.]  THE    APOCA.LYPSE   KEVEALED.  49 

That  the  feet,  the  soles  of  the  feet,  and  the  heels,  correspond  to 
natural  things  in  man,  and  therefore  in  the  Word  sigiiifv  things 
natural,  may  be  seen  in  TJie  Arcana  Ccelestla,  n.  21f)2,  4938 — 
4952.  The  divine  natural  good  is  also  signified  by  feet  in  the 
fiL)ll(iwing  places ;  in  Daniel :  "  I  lifted  np  mine  eyes,  and 
looked,  and  behold  a  man  clothed  in  linen,  whose  luius  were 
girded  with  tine  gold  of  Uj)haz ;  Ids  body  also  was  like  the 
beryl,  and  his  eyes  as  lamps  of  lire,  and  his  arms  atid  his  fec4 
like  in  colour  to  polished  brass,"  x.  5,  6.  In  the  Apocalypse : 
"  And  I  saw  another  mighty  angel  come  down  from  heaven,  and 
liis  feci  as  pillars  of  lire,"  x.  1,  And  in  Ezekiel  :  "  The  feet 
of  tlie  cherubs  sparkled  like  the  colour  of  burnished  brass,"  i. 
7.  The  reason  why  the  angels  and  cherubs  had  that  appear- 
ance, was,  because  the  Divine  of  the  Lord  was  represented  in 
tliem.  The  Lord's  church  being  under  the  heavens,  thus  under 
tlie  Lord's  feet,  it  is  therefore  called  his  footstool,  in  the  follow- 
ing places:  "The  glory  of  Lebanon  shall  come  nnto  thee,  to 
beautify  the  place  of  my  sanctuary  ;  and  1  will  make  the  place 
of  \ny  feet  glorious.  And  they  shall  bow  themselves  down  at 
the  soles  of  thy  feet^"*  Isaiali  Ix.  13,  14.  "Tlie  heaven  is  my 
tlirone,  and  the  earth  is  mj  footstool, ^^  Isaiah  Ixvi.  1.  "The 
Lord  hath  not  remembered  his  footstool  in  the  day  of  his  anger," 
Lament,  ii.  1.  "  Worship  at  the  footstool  of  Jehovah,"  l*sahn 
xcix.  5.  "  Lo,  we  heard  of  it  at  Ephratah  [Bethlehem].  We 
will  go  into  his  tabernacles ;  we  will  worship  at  his  footstool^'' 
Psalm  cxxxii.  6,  7  ;  thence  it  is,  that  "  they  came  and  held  the 
Lord's/I?tf^  and  worshipped  him,"  Matt,  xxviii.  9  ;  Mark  v.  22  ; 
Luke  viii.  41  ;  John  xi,  32  :  also,  that  "  Mary  kissed  his  feet^ 
and  did  wipe  them  with  the  hairs  of  her  head,"  Luke  vii.  37, 
38,  44,  46  ;  John  xi.  2  ;  xii.  3.  As  by  feet  is  signiiied  the  na- 
tural principle,  therefore  the  Lord  said  unto  Peter,  when  he 
Avashed  his  feet,  "  He  that  is  washed,  needeth  not  save  to  wash 
Ins  feet^  but  is  clean  every  whit,"  John  xiii.  10.  To  wash  the 
feet,  is  to  purify  the  natural  man  ;  and  wlien  this  is  purified,  the 
M'hole  man  is  also  purilied ;  as  is  abundantly  shown  in  The 
Arcana  Codestia  and  in  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem. 
The  natural  man,  which  is  also  the  external  man,  is  purified, 
when  he  shuns  the  evils  which  the  spiritual  or  internal  man 
sees  to  be  evils  and  that  they  ought  to  be  shunned.  Now  since 
the  natural  degree  of  man  is  understood  by  feet,  and  this  per- 
verts all  things  if  it  be  not  washed  or  purified ;  therefore  the 
Lord  says,  "And  if  \\\y  foot  offend  thee,  cut  it  off;  it  is  better 
for  thee  to  enter  halt  into  life,  than  having  two  feet  to  be  cast 
into  hell,  into  the  fire  that  never  shall  be  quencned,"  Mark  ix. 
45  ;  here  the  foot  is  not  understood,  but  the  natural  mai.'  The 
same  is  understood  by  trampling  under  foot  the  good  pasture, 
and  troubling  the  waters  with  their  feet,  Ezek,  xxxii.  13  ;  xxxiv. 
18,  19;  Dan.  vii.   7,  19;  and  in   othei   places.     Since  by  the 


50  THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.         [Chap.  1. 

Son  of  Man  is  meant  the  Lord  as  to  the  "Word,  it  is  evident, 
that  by  his  feet  is  also  understood  the  "Word  in  its  natural 
sense  ;  which  is  much  treated  of  in  The  Doctrine  of  the,  New 
Jerusalem  concGrning  the  Sacred  Scripture  /  as  also  that  the 
Lord  came  into  the  world,  that  he  might  fultil  all  things  of  the 
Word,  and  thereby  be  made  the  Word  also  in  nltimates,  n.  98 
— 100 ;  but  this  arcanum  is  for  those  who  will  be  in  the  Xew 
Jerusalem.  The  Lord's  divine  natural  degree  is  also  signified 
by  the  brazen  serpent,  which  was  set  up  by  the  command  of 
Moses  in  the  wilderness ;  by  looking  upon  which,  all  who  had 
been  bit  by  serpents  were  healed,  Numb.  xxi.  6,  8,  9  ;  that  it  sig- 
nified the  Lord's  divine  natural  degree,  and  that  they  are  saved 
who  look  up  to  it,  the  Lord  himself  teaches  in  John  :  "And  as 
Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the  wilderness,  even  so  must  the 
So7i of  Ma7i\>Q  lifted  up,  that  whosoever believeth  in  him  should 
not  perish,  but  have  eternal  life,"  iii.  14,  15 :  the  reason  why 
the  serpent  was  made  of  brass,  is,  because  brass,  as  also  fine 
brass,  signifies  the  natural  degree  as  to  good.  See  below,  n.  775. 
50.  And  his  voice  as  the  voice  of  many  waters^  signifies 
divine  truth  natural.  That  voice,  when  proceeding  from  the 
Lord,  signifies  divine  truth,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  37  ;  that 
waters  signify  truths,  and,  specificall}^  natural  tniths,  which  are 
knowledges  from  the  Word,  is  evident  from  many  passages  in 
the  Word  ;  of  which  only  the  following  are  adduced  :  "For  the 
earth  shall  be  full  of  the  knowledge  of  Jehovah,  as  the  waters 
cover  the  sea,"  Isaiah  xi.  9.  "Therefore  with  joy  shall  ye 
draw  waters  out  of  the  wells  of  salvation,"  Isaiah  xii.  3.  "  He 
that  walketh  righteously  and  speaketh  uprightly  ; — bread  shall 
be  given  him  ;  his  ivaters  shall  be  sure,"  Isaiah  xxxiii.  15,  16. 
"The  poor  and  needy  seek  water,  and  there  is  none ;  and  their 
tongue  faileth  for  thirst ; — I  will  open  rivers  in  high  places,  and 
fountains  in  the  midst  of  the  valleys :  I  will  make  the  wilder- 
ness a  jjool  of  water,  and  the  dry  land  springs  of  water, — that 
they  may  see,  and  know,  and  consider,  and  understand  toge- 
ther," Isaiah  xli.  17,  18,  20.  "For  I  will  pour  water  upon  him 
that  is  thirsty,  and  floods  upon  the  dry  ground,  I  will  pour  out 
my  spirit  upon  thy  seed,"  Isaiah  xliv.  3.  "  Then  shall  thy 
light  rise  in  obscurity; — and  thou  shalt  be  like  a  watered  gar- 
den, and  like  a  spring  of  water  whose  waters  fail  not,"  Isaiah 
Iviii.  10,  11.  "  For  my  people  have  committed  two  evils  ;  they 
have  forsaken  me,  the  fountain  of  living  waters,  and  hewed 
them  out  cisterns,  that  can  hold  wowater,^  Jerem.  ii.  13.  "And 
their  nobles  have  s*nt  their  little  ones  to  the  waters  :  they  came 
to  the  pits  and  found  no  water  ',  they  returned  with  their  vessel:? 
e^npty,"  Jerem.  xiv,  3.  "They  have  forsaken  Jehovah,  the 
fountain  of  living  waters,^''  Jerem.  xvi.  13.  "  They  shall  come 
with  weeping ;  and  with  supplications  will  I  lead  them :  I  will 
cause  them  to  walk  by  rivers  of  waters  in  a  straight  way," 
68 


V.  15.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  60 

Jerem.  xxxi.  9.  "  I  will  break  the  staff  of  bread  ;  and  they 
shall  driiik  loater  by  measure  with  astonishment :  and  consume 
away  for  their  iniquity,"  Ezek.  iv.  16,  17  ;  xii.  18,  19 ;  Isaiali 
li.  li.  "Behold  the  days  come,  saitii  Jehovah  God,  that  1 
will  send  a  famine  in  the  land,  not  a  famine  of  bread,  nor  a 
thirst  for  water,  but  of  hearing  the  words  of  Jehovah  :  and  they 
shall  wander  from  sea  to  sea;  they  shall  run  to  and  fro  to  seek 
the  Word  of  Jehovah,  and  shall  not  lind  it.  In  that  day  shall 
the  fair  virgins  and  young  men  faint  for  thirst,"  Amos  viii.  11 
— 13.  "And  it  shall  be  in  that  day  that  living  waters  shall  go 
out  from  Jerusalem,"  Zech.  xiv.  8.  "  Jehovah  is  my  shepherd  ; 
he  leadeth  me  beside  the  still  waters,''^  Psalm  xxiii.  1,  2.  "Be- 
hold he  smote  the  rock,  and  the  waters  gushed  out,  and  the 
streams  overflowed,"  Psalm  Ixxviii.  20.  "  O  God,  thou  art  my 
God ;  early  will  I  seek  thee :  my  soul  thirsteth  for  thee,  in  a 
dry  and  thirsty  land  where  no  water  is,"  Psalm  Ixiii.  1.  "  Je- 
hovah sendeth  out  his  Word,  he  causeth  his  Avind  to  blow,  and 
the  waters  flow,"  Psalm  cxlvii.  18.  "  Praise  Jehovah,  ye  hea- 
vens of  heavens,  and  ye  waters  that  be  above  the  heavens," 
Psalm  cxlviii.  4.  Jesus,  as  he  sat  at  Jacob's  well,  said  unto 
the  wonum,  "  AYliosoever  drinketh  of  this  water,  shall  thirst 
again  :  but  whosoever  drinketh  of  the  water  that  I  shall  give 
him,  shall  never  thirst ;  but  the  water  that  I  shall  give  him, 
shall  be  in  him  a  well  of  water  springing  up  into  everlasting 
life,"  John  iv.  6 — 14.  Jesus  said,  "If  any  man  thirst,  let 
him  come  unto  me,  and  drink.  He  that  believeth  on  me,  as 
the  Scriptui-e  hath  said,  out  of  his  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of 
living  water^''  John  vii.  37,  38.  "  I  will  give  unto  him  that  is 
athirst,  of  the  fountain  of  the  water  of  life  freely,"  Apoc.  xxi. 
(J.  "And  he  showed  me  a  river  of  water  of  life, — proceeding 
out  of  the  tJirone  of  God,  and  of  the  Lamb,"  Apoc.  xxii.  1. 
"And  the  Spirit  and  the  Bride  say.  Come.  And  let  him  that 
heareth  say,  Come.  And  let  him  that  is  athirst,  come.  And 
whosoever  will,  let  him  take  the  water  of  life  freely,"  Apoc. 
xxii.  17.  By  waters,  in  these  passages,  are  understood  truths  : 
lience  it  is  evident,  that  by  the  voice  of  many  waters,  is  under- 
stood the  divine  truth  of  the  Lord  in  the  Word  ;  as,  also,  in 
these  places :  "And,  behold,  the  glory  of  the  God  of  Israel 
came  from  the  waj'  of  the  east,  and  his  voice  was  like  a  noiso 
of  many  waters :  and  the  earth  sinned  with  his  glory,"  Ezek. 
xliii.  2.  "And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  as  the  voice  of 
many  waters,^''  Apoc.  xiv.  2.  "  21ie  voice  of  Jehovah  is  upon 
the  waters:  Jehovah  is  upon  many  water s,^^  V^?dm.  xxix.  3. 
When  it  is  known,  that  by  waters  in  the  Word,  are  meant 
truths  in  the  natural  man,  it  may  appear  what  was  signitied  by 
washings,  in  the  Israelitish  church  ;  and  also  what  is  signitied 
by  baptism  ;  and  likewise  by  these  words  of  the  Lord,  in  John  ', 
*'  Except  a  man  be  born  of  water^  and  of  the  spirit,  he  cannot 
69 


51  THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.         [Chap.  i. 

enter  into  tlie  kingdom  of  God,"  iii.  5.  To  "be  born  of  water, 
signifies  to  be  born  by  truths  ;  and  of  the  spirit,  signilies  by  a 
life  according  to  them.  That  waters  in  an  opposite  sense  sig- 
nify falses,  will  be  seen  in  what  follows. 

51.  And  he  had  in  his  right  hand  seven  stars,  signifies  all 
knowledges  of  goodness  and  truth  in  the  Word  from  him,  which 
are  thence  with  the  angels  of  heaven  and  men  of  the  church. 
About  the  angels,  when  they  are  beneath  the  heavens,  thei-o 
appear,  as  it  were,  little  stars  in  great  abundance  ;  and  in  like 
manner,  about  spirits,  who,  when  they  lived  in  the  world,  had 
acquired  to  themselves  knowledges  of  goodness  and  truth,  or 
truths  of  life  and  doctrine  from  the  Word.  These  stars  appear 
fixed,  with  those  who  are  in  genuine  truths  from  the  Word ; 
but  wandering,  with  those  who  are  in  falsified  truths.  Con- 
cerning these  little  stars,  as  also  concerning  the  stars  which 
appear  there  in  the  firmament,  I  could  relate  wonderful  things, 
but  it  does  not  belong  to  this  work  :  hence  it  is  evident  that  by 
stars  are  signified  knowledges  of  goodness  and  truth  from  the 
Word,  The  Son  of  Man's  having  them  in  his  right  hand,  sig- 
nifies, that  they  are  from  the  Lord  alone  through  the  Word. 
That  seven  signify  all,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  10.  That  know- 
ledges of  things  good  and  true  from  the  Word,  are  signified  by 
stars,  may  also  appear  from  these  passages  :  "  I  will  lay  the 
earth  desolate  :  For  the  stars  of  heaven  and  the  constellations 
thereof  shall  not  give  their  light,"  Isaiah  xiii.  9,  10  :  the  earth, 
which  shall  be  laid  desolate,  is  the  church ;  which  being  vas- 
tated,  the  knowledges  of  things  good  and  true  in  the  Word 
do  not  appear.  "And  when  I  shall  put  thee  out,  I.  will  cover 
the  heaven  and  make  the  stars  thereof  dark :  All  the  bright 
lights  of  heaven  will  I  make  dark  over  thee,  and  set  darkness 
upon  thy  land,"  Ezek.  xxxii.  7,  8 :  darkness  upon  the  land, 
means  falses  in  the  church.  "  The  sun  and  the  moon  are  dark- 
ened, and  the  stains  have  withdrawn  their  shining,"  Joel  ii.  10, 
11  ;  iii.  15.  "  Immediately  after  the  tribulation  of  those  days 
shall  the  sun  be  darkened,  and  the  moon  shall  not  give  her 
light,  and  the  stars  shall  fall  from  heaven,"  Matt.  xxiv.  29 ; 
Mark  xiii.  24.  "And  the  stars  of  heaven  fell  unto  the  earth, 
even  as  a  fig-tree  casteth  her  untimely  figs,"  Apoc.  vi.  13. 
"  And  I  saw  a  star  fall  from  heaven  unto  the  earth,"  Apoc.  ix. 
1.  By  stars  falling  from  heaven  are  not  to  be  nnderstood 
stars,  but  that  the  knowledges  of  things  good  and  true  will 
perish.  This  is  still  more  evident  from  its  being  said,  that  the 
tail  of  the  dragon  drew  the  third  part  of  the  stars  from  heaven. 
Apoc.  xii.  4 :  also,  that  the  he-goat  cast  down  some  of  the 
stars  and  stamped  upon  them,  Dan.  viii.  8 — 11  :  therefore  in 
the  next  verse,  in  Daniel,  it  is  also  said,  that  it  cast  do"svn  the 
truth  to  the  ground,  verse  12.  The  knowledges  of  things  good 
and  true,  are  also  signified  by  stars,  in  these  passages  .  "Jeho 
70 


V.  16.]  THE  APOCALYrSE  REVEALED.  52 

vah  telletli  the  number  of  the  stars;  he  calleth  thoin  all  by 
their  names,"  Psalm  clxvii.  4.  "Praise  Jehovah  all  ye  stars 
of  light,"  Psalm  cxlviii.  3.  ''''The  stars  in  their  courses  l()u<;-l)t 
against  Sisera,"  Judges  v.  20.  From  hence  it  appears  what  is 
meant  by  these  words  in  Daniel :  "And  they  that  be  wise  shall 
shine  as  the  brightness  of  the  firmament ;  and  they  that  turn 
many  to  righteousness,  as  the  stars  for  ever  and  ever,"  xii.  3. 
They  that  be  wise,  are  such  as  are  in  truths  ;  and  they  that  turn 
many  to  I'ighteousness,  are  such  as  are  in  goods. 

52.  And  out  of  his  mouth  xoent  a  sharp  ttoo-edged  sivord, 
r>ignities  the  dispersion  of  falses  by  the  Word,  and  by  doctrine 
tlience  from  the  Lord.  Sword  very  often  occurs  in  the  Word, 
and  by  it  nothing  else  is  signified  but  truth  fighting  against 
falses  and  destroying  them ;  and,  also,  in  an  opposite  sense,  the 
false  fighting  against  truths :  for  by  wars  in  the  A¥ord,  are  sig- 
nified spiritual  wars,  which  are  wars  of  truth  against  falsity, 
and  of  falsity  against  truth ;  wherefore,  by  wea})ons  of  war, 
such  things  are  signified  as  are  made  use  of  in  spiritual  conflict. 
That  the  dispersion  of  falses  by  the  Lord  is  here  understood,  ig 
evident,  because  the  sword  was  seen  to  go  out  of  his  mouth ; 
and  to  go  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Lord,  is  to  go  out  of  the 
Word,  for  this  the  Lord  spake  with  his  mouth ;  and  as  the 
Word  which  is  drawn  fi'om  it  is  understood  by  the  doctrine, 
this  is  also  signified.  It  is  called  a  sharp  two-edged  sword, 
because  it  penetrates  the  heart  and  soul.  To  show  that  by 
sword  is  here  meant  the  dispersion  of  falses  by  the  A¥ord  from 
the  Lord,  some  passages  shall  be  adduced  in  which  sword  is 
mentioned:  "^  sword  upon  the  inhabitants  of  Babylon,  and 
upon  her  princes,  and  upon  her  wise  men.  ^  sword  is  upon 
the  liars,  and  they  shall  dote  :  a  sword  is  upon  her  mighty  men, 
and  they  shall  be  dismayed.  A  sword  is  upton  their  horses,  and 
upon  their  chariots ;  a  swo?rl  is  upon  her  treasures,  and  they 
shall  be  robbed.  A  drought  is  upon  her  waters,  and  they  shall 
be  dried  up,"  Jerem.  1.  35 — 38.  These  things  are  said  of 
Babylon,  by  which  tiiose  are  understood  who  falsify  and  adul 
terate  the  Word  ;  therefore  by  the  liars  who  will  dote,  and  the 
horses  and  chariots  upon  whom  there  is  a  sword,  and  the  trea- 
sures which  will  be  taken  away,  are  signified  the  falses  of  tlieir 
doctrines  :  that  the  waters  upon  which  is  a  drought  that  tliey 
may  be  dried  up,  signify  truths,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  50. 
"  Prophesy,  and  say,  A  sword  is  sharpened,  and  also  furbished. 
It  is  sharpened  to  nuike  a  sore  slaughter ;  and  let  tJie  sword  be 
doubled  the  third  time ;  the  sioord  of  the  slain  ;  it  is  the  sword 
of  the  great  men  that  are  slain,  which  entereth  into  their  privy 
chambers,"  Ezek.  xxi.  9 — 20.  By  sword  is  here  also  meant 
the  devastation  of  truth  in  the  church.  "  Jehovah  will  })lead 
by  his  sword  with  all  flesh,  and  the  slain  of  Jehovah  shall  be 

71 


•52  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         [Chap  1. 

raanj,"  Isaiah  Ixvi.  16.  They  are  called  the  slain  of  Jehovah 
here,  and  in  other  parts  of  the  Word,  who  perish  by  falses. 
*'  The  spoilers  are  come  upon  all  high  places  through  the  wilder- 
ness ;  for  the  sword  of  Jehovah  shall  devour  from  the  one  end 
of  the  land,  even  to  the  other,"  Jerem.  xii.  12.  "  We  gat  our 
Dread  with  ihe  peril  of  our  lives,  because  of  the  sword  of  the 
wilderness,"  Lament,  v.  9.  "  Woe  to  the  idle  shepherd  that 
leaveth  the  flock  !  the  sword  shall  be  upon  his  arm  and  upon  his 
right  eye,"  Zech.  xi.  17.  The  sword  upon  the  right  eye  of  the 
shepherd  is  the  falsity  of  his  understanding.  "  Even  the  sons 
of  men,  whose  teeth  are  spears  and  arrows,  and  their  tongue  a 
sharp  sword,''^  Psalm  Iviii.  4.  "  Behold  they  belch  out  with 
their  mouth :  swords  are  in  their  lips,"  Psalm  lix.  7.  "  The 
workers  of  iniquity,  who  whet  their  tongue  like  a  sword,,^^ 
Psalm  Ixiv.  3.  The  same  is  signified  by  sword  in  other 
places,  as  in  Isaiah  xiii.  13,  15 ;  xxi.  14,  15 ;  xxvii.  1 ;  xxxi.  7, 
8;  Jerem.  ii.  30;  v.  12;  xi.  22;  xiv.  13—18;  Ezek.  vii.  15; 
xxxii.  10 — 12.  Hence  it  may  appear  what  the  Lord  meant  by 
sword  in  the  following  j)assages  :  "Jesus  said,  that  he  came  not 
to  send  peace  on  earth,  but  a  sword,^^  Matt.  x.  34.  Jesus  said, 
"  He  that  hath  a  purse  and  a  scrip,  let  him  take  it;  and  he  that 
hath  no  sword,  let  him  sell  his  garment  and  buy  one.  And  his 
disci]3les  said,  Lord,  behold,  here  are  two  sioords.  And  he  said 
unto  thera,  It  is  enough,"  Luke  xxii.  36,  38.  "  For  all  the}'' 
that  take  the  sword,  shall  perish  with  the  sword^''  Matt.  xxvi. 
52.  Jesus  says,  concerning  the  consummation  of  the  age, 
"They  shall  fall  by  the  edge  of  the  sword,  and  shall  be  led 
away  captive  into  all  nations,  and  Jerusalem  shall  be  trodden 
down  of  the  Gentiles,"  Luke  xxi.  24.  The  consummation  of 
the  age  is  the  last  time  of  the  church ;  the  sword  is  falsity 
destroying  truth  ;  the  Gentiles  are  evils  ;  Jerusalem  which  shall 
be  trodden  down,  is  the  church.  Hence,  then,  it  is  evident, 
that  by  a  sharj)  sword  going  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Son  of 
Man,  is  signified  the  dispersion  of  falses  by  the  Lord  by  means 
of  the  Word.  The  same  is  signified  in  the  following  passages 
in  the  Apocalypse:  "And  there  was  given  unto  him  a  great 
sword  who  sat  upon  the  red  horse,"  vi.  4.  "And  out  of  his 
mouth  who  sat  upon  the  white  horse  goeth  a  sharp  sword,  that 
Avith  it  he  should  smite  the  nations.  And  the  remnant  were 
slain  Avith  the  sword  of  him  that  sat  upon  the  horse,"  xix.  15, 
21.  By  him  who  sat  upon  the  white  horse,  is  understood  the 
Lord  as  to  the  Word,  which  is  plainly  declared,  verse  13,  16. 
Tlie  same  is  understood  in  David :  "  Gird  thy  sword  upon  thy 
thigh,  O  most  Mighty,  with  thy  glory  and  thy  majesty.  And 
in  thy  majesty  ride  prosperously  because  of  truth.  Thine 
arrows  are  sharp  in  the  heart  of  the  king's  enemies,"  Psalm 
xlv.  3 — 5;    speaking  of  the  Lord.      And  in   another  place; 

72 


V.  16.]  TUE   APOCALYPSE   KEVEALED.  53 

"  Let  the  saints  be  joyful  in  gloiy,  and  a  two-edo-ed  sword  in 
their  hand,"'  r^ahn  cxlix.  5,  6.  And  in  Isaiah,  "Jehovah 
hath  made  my  mouth  a  sharp  sword,''''  xlix,  2, 

53.  And  his  face  was  as  the  sun  shineth  in  his  poioer,  sla-- 
nifies  the  divine  love  and  the  divine  wisdom,  which  are  himself, 
and  proceed  from  himself.     That  by  tlie  face  of  Jeliovah,  or  of 
the  Lord,  is  understood  the  Divine  Ilunself  in  his  Essence, 
which  is  divine  love  and  divine  wisdom  hinlself,  will  be  thus 
seen  in  the  explanations  below,  where  mention  is  made  of  the 
face  of  GckI.     The  same  is  signified  by  the  sun  shining-  in  his 
strength.     That  the  Lord  is  seen  as  a  sun  in  heaven  before  the 
angels,  and  that  it  is  his  divine  love  together  with  his  divine 
wisdom,  which  have  that  appearance,  may  be  seen  in  the  work 
concerning  Heaven  and  l/etl,  n.  116 — 125 ;  and  in   The  An- 
gelic   Wisdom  concerning  the  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine 
Wisdom,  n.  83 — 172.     It  remains  here  only  to  be  confirmed 
from  the  Word,  that  the  sun,  when  mentioned  in  reference  to 
the  Lord,  signifies  his   divine  love,  and  at  the  same  time  his 
divine  wisdom ;  this  may  appear  from  the  following  places : 
"In  that  day  the  light  of  the  moon  shall  be  as  the  light  of  the 
sun,  and  the  light  of  the  sun  shall  be  seven-fold,  as  tlie  light  of 
seven  days,"  Isaiah  xxx.  26.     That  day  is  the  advent  of  the^Lord, 
when  the  old  church  is  destroyed,  and  a  new  one  is  about  to  be 
established ;  the  light  of  the  moon  is  faith  from  charity,  and 
the  light  of  the  sun  is  intelligence  and  M'isdom  from  love,  and 
thus  from  the  Lord.     "Thy  sun  shall  no  more  go  down,  neither 
shall  thy  moon  Avithdraw  itself;   for  Jehovah  shall  be  thine 
everlasting  hght,"  Isaiah  Ix.  20.     The  sun  which  shall  not  set, 
is  love  and  wisdom  from  the  Lord.     "The  rock  of  Israel  spake 
unto  me  : — And  he  shall  be  as  the  light  of  the  morning  when  the 
sun  riseth,"  2  Sam.  xxiii.  3,  4.     The  rock  of  Israel  is  the  Lord. 
"  His  throne  sliall  be  as  the  su7i  before  me,"  Psalm  Ixxxix.  36, 
37.     This  is  said  of  David :  but  by  David  is  there  meant  the 
Lord.     "They  shall  fear  thee  as  long  as  the  su7i  and  moon  en- 
dure.    In  his  days  shall  the  righteous  flourish,  and  abundance 
of  peace  so  long  as  the  moon  endureth :  his  name  shall  be  con- 
tinued as  long  as  the  stm  :  and  men  shall  be  blessed  in  him," 
Psalm  Ixxii.  5,  7,  17.     This  also  is  said  of  the  Lord.     As  the 
Lord  appears  as  a  sun  in  heaven  in  the  sight  of  the  angels, 
therefore  when  he  was  transfigured,  "his  face  did  shine  as  the 
sun,  and  his  raiment  was  white  as  the  light,"  Matt.  xvii.  2. 
And  it  is  said  of  the  strong  angel  who  came  down  from  heaven, 
that  he  Avas  "  clothed  with  a  cloud, — and  his  face  was  as  it  were 
the  5?<7i,"  Apoc.  X.  1 :  and  of  tlie  woman,  that  she  appeared 
"  clothed  with  the  sm71,"  Apoc.  xii.  1.     The  sun  in  these  pas- 
sages also  signifies  love  and  wisdom  from  the  Lord  ;  the  woman 
is  the  churcii,  which  is  called  the  New  Jerusalem.     Since,  bv 
the  sun,  is  understood  the  Lord  as  to  love  and  wisdom,  it  il 


53  THE    APOCALTl  SE   REVEALED.  [Cliaj).  L 

evident  what  is  signified  by  the  sun  in  the  following  places: 
"And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day — that  the  moon  shall  bo 
confounded,  and  the  sun  ashamed,  when  Jehovah  of  hosts  shall 
reign  in  mount  Zion,"  Isaiah  xxiv.  21,  23.     *' And  when  I  shall 
have  put  thee  out,  I  will  cover  the  heavens  and  make  the  stars 
thereof  dark ;  I  will  cover  the  sun  with  a  cloud  and  the  moon 
shall  not  give  her  light : — and  I  will  set  darkness  upon  thy  land," 
Ezek.  xxxii.  7,  S.     "The  day  of  Jehovah  cometh,  a  day  of 
darkness, — the  sun  and  the  moon  shall  be  dark,  and  tlie  stars 
shall  withdraw  their  shining,"  Joel  ii.  1,  10.     "The  sun  shall 
be  turned  into  darkness,  and  the  moon  into  blood,  before  the 
great  and  terrible  day  of  Jehovah  come,"  Joel  ii.  31.     "The 
day  of  Jehovah  is  near  in  the  valley  of  decision.     The  sim.  and 
the  moon  shall  be  darkened,"  Joel  iii.  14, 15.     "  And  the  fourth 
angel  sounded,  and  the  third  jDart  of  the  sim  was  smitten, — and 
the  third  part  of  the  stars, — and  the  day  shone  not  for  a  third 
part  of  it,"  Apoc.  viii.  12.     "And  the  sun  became  black  as 
sack-cloth  of  hair,  and  the  moon  became  as  blood,"  Apoc.  vi. 
12.     "And  the  sun  and  the  air  were  darkened  by  the  smoke  of 
the  pit,"  Apoc.  ix.  2.     In  these  passages,  by  sun  is  not  meant 
the  sun  of  this  world,  but  the  sun  of  the  angelic  heaven,  which 
is  the  divine  love  and  the  divine  wisdom  of  the  Lord ;  these 
are  said  to  be  obscured,  darkened,  covered,  and  to   become 
black,  when  there  are  evils  and  falses  in  man.     Hence  it  is 
evident,  that  the  same  is  meant  by  tlie  Lord's  words,  where  he 
speaks  of  the  consummation  of  the  age,  which  is  the  last  time 
of  the  church  :    "  Immediately  after  the  tribulation  of  those 
days  shall  the  sun  be  darkened,  and  the  moon  shall  not  give 
her  light,  and  the  stars  shall  fall  from  heaven,"  Matt.  xxiv.  29 ; 
Mark  xiii,  24,  25.     And  in  like  manner  in  the  following  pas- 
sages :  "And  the  sun  shall  go  down  over  the  prophets,  and  the 
day  shall  be  dark  over  them,"  Micah  iii.  5,  6.     "  In  that  day — 
I  will  cause  the  sun  to  go  down  at  noon,  and  I  will  darken  the 
earth  in  the  clear  day,"  Amos  viii.  9.     "  She  that  hath  borne 
seven  hath  given  up  the  ghost;  her  sun  is  gone  down  while  it 
was  yet  day,"  Jerem.  xv.  9 ;  speaking  of  the  Jewish  church, 
which  was  to  breathe  out  its  soul,  or,  in  other  words,  would 
perish :  the  sun  shall  set,  signifies  thai  there  will  be  no  longer 
any  love  and  charity.     AYhat  is  said  in  Joshua,  that  the  su?i 
stood  still  upon  Gibeon,  and  the  moon  in  the  valley  of  Ajalon, 
X.  12,  13,  appears  as  if  it  was  historical,  but  it  is  proplietic, 
being  quoted  from  the  book  of  Jasher,  which  was  a  prophetic 
book ;  for  it  is  said,  "  Is  not  this  written  in  the  book  of  Jasher?" 
verse  13  ;  the  same  book  is  also  mentioned  as  proplietic  by 
David,  2  Sam.  i.  17,  18  ;  something  similar  is  also  said  in  Ila- 
bakkuk:  "The  mountains — trembled. — the  sun  and  moon  stood 
still  in  their  habitation,"  iii.  10.     "  Thy  sun  shall  no  more  g' 
down ;  neither  shall  thv  moon  withdraw  itself,"  Isaiah  Ix.  20 
74 


V.  17.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  54,  55 

for  to  make  the  sun  and  moon  stand  still  would  be  to  destroy 
the  universe.  The  Lord  as  to  his  divine  love  and  his  divine 
wisdom,  being  meant  by  the  sun,  therefore  the  ancients  in  their 
lioly  worship  turned  their  faces  to  the  rising  sun  ;  and  also  their 
temples,  which  custom  still  continues.  That  the  sun  and  moon 
of  tliis  world  are  not  understood  in  these  places,  is  evident  from 
its  having  been  considered  profane  and  abominable  to  adore 
tlieni,  as  may  be  seen  in  Numb.  xxv.  1 — 4  ;  Dtnit.  iv.  19  ;  xvii. 
3,  5  ;  Jereni.  viii.  1,  2;  xliii.  10,  13  ;  xliv.  17 — 19,  25  ;  Ezek.  viii. 
10  ;  for  by  the  sun  of  this  world  is  understood  self-love  and  the 
pride  of  self-derived  intelligence  ;  and  self-love  is  diametrically 
opposite  to  divine  love ;  and  the  pride  of  self-derived  intelli- 
gence is  opposite  to  divine  wisdom.  To  adore  the  sun  of  this 
world  is  also  to  acknowledge  nature  to  be  creative,  and  self- 
derived  prudence  to  be  cfl'ective  of  all  things,  which  implies  a 
negation  of  God,  and  a  negation  of  the  Divine  Providence. 

54.  And  when  J  saw  him,  I  fell  at  his /"eel  as  dead,  signifies 
that  from  such  presence  there  was  a  defect  or  deprivation  of  his 
own  life.  Man's  proper  life  cannot  sustain  the  presence  of  the 
Lord,  such  as  the  Lord  is  in  himself,  nor  such  as  he  is  inti- 
mately in  his  Word  ;  for  the  Divine  Love  is  just  like  the  sun, 
v/hich  no  one  can  bear  as  it  is  in  itself,  without  being  consumed. 
This  is  what  is  meant  by  saying  that  "  no  one  can  see  God  and 
live,"  Exod.  xxxiii.  20 ;  Judges  xiii.  22.  This  being  the  case, 
the  Lord  appears  to  the  angels  in  heaven  as  a  sun,  at  a  distance 
from  them,  as  the  sun  of  this  world  is  from  men  ;  the  reason  is, 
because  the  Lord  in  himself  is  in  that  sun.  But  yet  the  Lord 
so  moderates  and  tempers  his  Divine  Essence  as  to  enable  man 
to  sustain  his  presence,  which  is  done  by  veilings  or  coverings  ; 
such  was  the  case  when  he  revealed  himself  to  many  in  the 
Word  ;  yea,  by  veils  or  coverings  he  is  present  in  every  one  who 
worships  him  ;  as  he  himself  says  in  John  :  ''  He  that  hath  my 
commandments,  and  keepeth  them  ; — I  will  manifest  myself  to 
him,"  xiv.  21,  23.  "That  he  will  be  in  them,  and  they  in 
him,"  XV.  4,  5.  Hence  it  is  evident  why  John,  when  he  saw 
the  Lord  in  such  glory,  fell  at  his  feet  as  dead  ;  and  also,  why 
the  three  disciples,  when  they  saw  the  Lord  in  glory,  were  heavy 
with  sleep,  and  a  cloud  covered  them,  Luke  ix.  32,  34, 

55.  And  he  laid  his  right  hand  upon  one,  signifies  life  then 
inspired  from  him.  The  reason  why  the  L(M-(1  laid  his  right 
hand  upon  him,  is,  because  communication  is  produced  by  the 
touch  of  the  hands,  for  the  life  of  the  mind,  and  thence  of  the 
body,  puts  itself  forth  into  the  arms,  and  through  them  into  the 
hands ;  on  this  account,  the  Lord  touched  with  his  hand  those 
whom  he  restored  to  life  and  healed,  Mark  i.  31,  41  ;  vii.  32, 
33  ;  viii.  22—27  ;  x.  13, 16  ;  Luke  v.  12, 13  ;  vii  14;  xviii.  15  ; 
xxii.  51  ;  and  in  like  manner,  "  After  his  disciples  saw  Jesua 
ti'ansfigured,  he  touched  them,  and  they  fell  on  their  faces," 

15 


56,  57  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Cliap.  1 

Matt.  xvii.  G,  7.  Tlie  origin  of  this  is,  because  the  presence  of 
the  Lord  with  man  is  adjunction,  and  thus  conjunction  by  con 
tiguity,  and  this  contiguity  is  nearer  and  fuller  in  proportion 
as  man  loves  the  Lord,  that  is,  does  his  commandments.  From 
these  few  considerations  it  may  appear,  that  by  laying  his  right 
hand  upon  him,  is  signified  inspiring  him  with  his  life. 

56.  Saying  unto  me.,  Fear  not.,  signifies  resuscitation,  and  at 
the  same  time  adoration  from  the  most  profound  humiliation. 
That  it  signifies  resuscitation  to  life,  is  a  consequence  of  what 
went  before,  u.  55  ;  and  that  it  signifies  adoration  from  the 
most  profound  humiliation,  is  evident,  for  he  fell  at  the  Lord's 
feet ;  and  as  a  holy  fear  seized  him,  the  Lord  said,  on  his  being 
resuscitated,  Fear  not.  Holy  fear,  which  sometimes  is  joined 
with  a  sacred  tremor  of  the  interiors  of  the  mind,  and  sometimes 
with  horripilation,*  supervenes,  when  life  enters  from  the  Lord 
in  place  of  man's  proper  life ;  the  proper  life  of  man  is  to  look 
from  himself  to  the  Lord,  but  life  from  the  Lord  is  to  look  from 
the  Lord  to  the  Lord,  and  yet  as  if  from  himself;  when  man  is 
in  this  latter  life,  he  sees  that  he  himself  is  not  any  thing,  but 
only  the  Lord.  Daniel  also  was  in  this  holy  fear,  when  he  saw 
the  man  clothed  in  linen,  whose  loins  were  girded  with  fine 
gold  of  Uphaz,  his  body  like  the  beryl,  his  face  like  lightning, 
his  eyes  like  lamps  of  lire,  and  his  arms  and  feet  as  the  shining 
of  polished  brass,  upon  seeing  whom  Daniel  also  became  as 
dead,  and  a  hand  touched  him,  and  a  voice  said.  Fear  not., 
Daniel,  Dan.  x.  5 — '12.  Something  similar  occurred  to  Peter, 
James,  and  John,  when  the  Lord  w^as  transfigured,  and  appeared 
as  to  his  face  like  the  sun,  and  his  garments  as  the  light,  upon 
which  they  also  fell  upon  their  faces,  and  were  sore  afraid,  and 
then  Jesus  came  and  touched  tliem,  saying,  ^t;  not  afraid..  Matt, 
xvii.  5,  6,  7.  The  Lord  also  said  unto  the  woman  who  saw  him 
at  the  sepulchre,  Fear  7iot^  Matt,  xxviii.  10.  Likewise  the  an- 
gel, whose  face  was  like  lightning,  and  his  garment  as  snow, 
said  unto  those  women.  Fear  not  ye,  Matt,  xxviii.  3,  4,  5.  The 
angel  said  to  Zechariah  also,  Fear  not,  Luke  i.  12,  13.  Li  like 
manner  the  angel  said  to  Mary,  Fear  not,  Luke  i.  30.  The 
angel  said  to  the  sJiepherds  also,  when  the  glory  of  the  Lord 
shone  round  about  them.  Fear  not,  Luke  ii.  9,  10.  A  similar 
holy  fear  seized  Simon,  by  reason  of  the  draught  of  fishes; 
therefore  he  said,  Depart  from  me,  for  I  am  a  sinful  man,  O 
Lord  ;  but  Jesus  said  nnto  him,  Fear  not,  Luke  v.  8,  9,  10 ; 
besides  other  places.  These  are  adduced  that  it  may  be  known 
why  the  Lord  said  to  John,  Fear  not,  and  that  by  it  is  denoted 
resuscitation  and  then  adoration  from  the  most  profound  hu- 
miliation. 

57.  I  am  the  First  and  the  Last,  which  signifies  that  Ha 

*  Erection  of  the  hair  caused  by  horror. 

76 


V,   17,  18.]        THE  ArOCALTPSE  REVEALED.  58 — 60 

alone  is  eternal  and  infinite,  therefore  the  only  God,  may  appear 
from  the  explanation  above,  n.  13,  29,  38. 

58.  And  am  he  that  liveth,  si2;nifies,  who  alone  is  life,  and 
from  whom  alone  is  life.  Jehovaii,  in  the  Word  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament, calls  himself  the  Life  and  the  Living,  becanse  he  alone 
lives ;  for  he  is  love  itself  and  wisdom  itself,  and  these  are 
life.  That  there  is  one  only  life,  which  is  God,  and  that  angels 
and  men  are  recipients  of  life  from  him,  is  abnndantly  shown 
in  The  Angelic  Wisdom  concerning  the  Divine  Love  and  the 
Divine  Wisdom.  Jehovah  calls  himself  the  Living  and  him 
tiiat  Z/ivifA,  in  Isaiah  xxxviii.  18,  19;  Jerem.  v.  2;  xii.  16; 
xvi.  14,  15  ;  xxiii.  7,  8  ;  xlvi.  18  ;  Ezok.  v.  21.  The  Lord  as  to 
his  Divine  Humanity  also  is  life,  becanse  the  Father  and  ho  are 
one;  therefore  he  saj's,  "As  the  Father  hath  life  in  himself,  so 
liath  he  given  to  the  Son  to  have  life  in  himself,"  John  v.  26. 
"Jesus  said,  I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life^''  John  xi.  25. 
"  Jesus  said,  I  am  the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  Z//t',"  John  xiv.  6. 
"  In  the  beginning  was  the  AV^ord,  and  God  was  the  Word ;  ir 
him  was  Hfej  and  the  Word  was  made  flesh,"  John  i.  1 — 4, 14-. 
Because  the  Lord  is  alone  life,  it  follows,  that  from  him  alone 
life  is  derived,  therefore  he  says,  "  Because  I  Ivve^  ye  shall  live 
also,"  John  xiv.  19. 

59.  And  was  dead,  signifies  that  he  was  neglected  in  the 
church,  and  his  Divine  Humanity  not  acknoMdedged.  By  his 
becoming  dead  is  not  understood  that  he  was  crucified,  and  so 
died,  but  that  he  was  neglected  in  the  church,  and  his  Divine 
Humanity  not  acknowledged,  for  so  he  became  dead  among 
men.  His  divinity  from  eternity  is  indeed  acknowledged,  but 
this  is  Jehovaii  himself;  but  his  Humanity  is  not  acknowledged 
to  be  divine,  although  the  divine  essence  and  the  human  in  him 
are  like  soul  and  body,  and  therefore  are  not  two  but  one,  yea, 
one  person,  according  to  the  doctrine  received  throughout  the 
whole  Christian  world,  which  has  its  name  from  Athanasius. 
When,  therefore,  the  divine  in  him  is  separated  from  the  hu- 
man, by  saying  that  his  Humanity  is  not  divine,  but  like  the 
human  essence  of  any  other  man,  in  this  case  he  is  dead  among 
men.  But  concerning  this  separation  and  consequent  death  of 
the  Lord,  more  may  be  seen  in  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jeriir 
salem  concerning  the  Lord:  and  in  The  Angelic  Wisdom  con- 
cerning the  Divine  Providence,  n.  262,  263. 

60.  And,  hehold,  L  am  alive  for  ever  and  ever,  signifies  that 
he  is  life  eternal.  Now  as,  who  am  alive,  signifies  that  he 
alone  is  life,  and  from  him  alone  life  is  derived,  as  above,  n.  58, 
it  follows  that,  Behold,  I  am  alive  for  ever  and  ever,  signifies 
that  he  alone  is  life  to  eternity,  and  consequently  that  eternal 
life  is  from  him  alone  ;  for  eternal  life  is  in  him,  and  con- 
sequently from  him.  For  ever  and  ever,  signifies  eternity. 
That  eternal  life  is  from  the  Lord  alone,  is   plain  from  the 

77 


61 65  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Chap.  1. 

following  passages :  "  Jesns  said,  Whosoever  believeth  on  me 
shall  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life^''  John  iii.  16. 
"  Every  one  that  believeth  in  the  Son  hath  everlasting  life,  but 
he  Avho  believeth  not  in  the  Son,  shall  not  see  life,  but  the 
wrath  of  God  abideth  on  him,"  John  vi.  40,  47,  48.  "  Verily, 
I  say  unto  you,  he  that  believeth  on  me  hath  everlasting  life^'' 
John  vi.  47.  "  I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life  /  he  that 
believeth  in  me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live :  and 
whosoever  believeth  in  me,  shall  never  die,"  John  xi.  24,  26 : 
and  in  other  places.  Hence,  then,  the  Lord  is  called.  He  that 
is  alive  for  ever  and  ever  :  as  also  in  the  following  passages  of 
the  Apocalypse,  iv.  9,  10  ;  v.  14 ;  x.  6  ;  Dan.  iv.  34. 

61.  Amen,  signifies  the  divine  confirmation  that  it  is  the 
truth.  That  amen  is  the  truth,  which  is  the  Lord,  may  be  seen 
above,  n.  23. 

62.  And  have  the  keys  of  hell  and  death,  signifies  tliat  he 
alone  has  power  to  save.  By  keys  is  signified  the  power  of 
opening  and  shutting ;  in  this  instance,  the  power  of  opening 
hell,  that  man  may  be  brought  forth,  and  of  shutting  it,  lest, 
when  he  is  brought  forth,  he  should  enter  it  again ;  for  man  is 
born  in  evils  of  all  kinds,  thus  in  hell,  for  evils  are  hell :  he  is 
brought  out  of  it  by  the  Lord,  to  whom  belongs  the  ]30wer  of 
opening  it.  The  reason  why  by  having  the  keys  of  hell  and 
death,  is  not  understood  the  power  of  casting  into  hell,  but  the 
power  of  saving,  is,  because  it  immediately  follows  after  these 
w^ords :  "  Behold,  I  am  alive  for  ever  and  ever ;"  by  which  is 
signified  that  he  alone  is  eternal  life,  n.  60  ;  and  the  Lord  never 
casts  any  one  into  hell,  but  man  casts  himself.  By  keys  is  sig- 
nified the  power  of  opening  and  shutting,  in  the  Apocalypse 
also,  iii.  7;  ix.  1 ;  xx.  1 :  also  in  Isaiah,  xxii.  21,  22  ;  in  Mat- 
thew, xvi.  19  ;  and  in  Luke,  xi.  52.  The  power  of  the  Lord  is 
not  only  over  heaven,  but  also  over  hell ;  for  hell  is  kept  in 
order  and  connexion  by  oppositions  against  heaven  ;  for  which 
reason,  he  who  governs  the  one  must  necessarily  govern  the 
other  ;  otherwise  man  could  not  be  saved :  to  be  saved  is  to  be 
brought  out  of  hell. 

63.  Write  the  things  which  thou  hast  seen,  and  the  things 
which  are,  and  the  things  which  shall  he  hereafter,  signifies  that 
all  the  things  now  revealed  are  for  the  use  of  posterity  ;  as  may 
appear  without  explanation. 

.64.  The  mystery  of  the  seven  stars  which  thou  sawest  in  7ny 
right  hand,  and  the  seven  golden  candlesticks,  signifies  arcana 
in  visions  concerning  the  new  heaven  and  the  new  church. 
That  by  seven  stars  is  signified  the  church  in  the  heavens,  and 
by  seven  candlesticks  the  church  upon  earth,  will  be  seen  in 
what  now  follows. 

65.  The  seven  stars  are  the  angels  of  the  seven  churches,  sig 
nifies  the  New  Church  in  the  heavens,  which  is  the  new  hea^ 
78 


V.  19,  20.]        THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  6G,   67 

ven.  The  church  exists  in  the  heavens  as  -well  as  upon  earth; 
for  the  Word  is  in  the  heavens  as  well  as  upon  earth,  and 
there  are  doctrines  and  preachings  from  it :  on  which  subject 
see  The  JVeio  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Sacred  Scripture.,  n. 
70 — 75,  and  n.  10-i — 113.  That  church  is  the  new  heaven,  con- 
cerning which  something  is  said  in  the  preface.  Tlie  reason 
why  the  cJiurch  in  the  heavens,  or  tlie  new  heaven,  is  meant  by 
the  seven  stars,  is,  because  it  is  said,  that  the  seven  stars  are 
the  angels  of  tlie  seven  churches,  and  by  angel  is  signified  a 
heavenly  society.  In  the  spiritual  world  there  appears  a  lirma- 
ment  full  of  stars,  as  in  the  natural  world,  and  this  ap])earance 
is  from  the  angelic  societies  in  heaven  :  each  society  there 
shines  like  a  star  to  tliose  who  are  below;  hence  they  there 
know  in  what  situation  the  angelic  societies  are.  That  seven 
does  not  signify  seven,  hut  all  who  are  of  the  church  there, 
according  to  the  reception  of  each,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  10, 
1-1,  41  ;  therefore,  by  the  angels  of  the  seven  churches,  is 
meant  the  universal  "church  in  the  heavens,  consequently  the 
new  heaven  in  the  aggregate. 

QQ.  And  the  seven  candlesticks  which  thou  saioest  are  the 
seven  churches.,  signifies  the  new  church  upon  eartli,  which  is 
the  New  Jerusalem  descending  from  the  Lord  out  of  the  new 
heaven.  That  the  candlesticks  are  the  church,  may  be  seen 
above,  n,  43  ;  and  whereas  seven  signify  all,  n.  10,  by  the  sevei? 
candlesticks  are  not  understood  s^ven  churches,  but  the  church 
in  the  aggregate,  which  in  itself  is  one,  but  various  according 
to  reception.  Those  varieties  may  be  compared  to  the  various 
jewels  in  the  crown  of  a  king  ;  aiul  they  may  also  be  compared 
to  the  various  members  and  organs  in  a  perfect  body,  which  yet 
make  a  one.  The  perfection  of  every  form  consists  in  various 
things  being  suitably  disposed  in  their  order ;  hence  it  is,  that 
the  universal  new  church  is  described,  as  to  its  various  partic- 
ulars, by  the  seven  churches,  in  what  follows. 

67.  The  faith  of  the  new  heaven  and  new  chukch,  com- 
prehended IN  ONE  UNIVERSAL  IDEA,  is  tliis,  that  tlieLord  from 
eternity,  who  is  Jehovah,  came  into  the  world  to  subdue  the 
hells  and  glorify  his  Humanity  ;  and  that  without  this  no  flesh 
could  have  been  saved;  and  that  they  will  be  saved  who  be- 
lieve in  him. 

It  is  said,  in  a  universal  idea,  because  this  is  the  universal 
of  faith,  and  the  universal  of  faith  is  what  enters  into  all  and 
every  particular.  It  is  a  universal  of  faith,  that  God  is  one  in 
person  and  in  essence,  in  whom  there  is  a  trinity,  and  that  the 
Lord  is  that  God.  It  is  a  universal  of  faitli,  tliat  no  mortal 
could  have  been  saved  unless  the  Lord  had  come  into  the  world. 
It  is  a  universal  of  faith,  that  he  came  into  the  world  that  he 
might  remove  hell  from  man ;  and  that  he  did  remove  it  by 
successive  combats  against  it  and  victories  over  it ;  whereby  he 
79 


67  THE    APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Cliap.  U. 

finally  siibdned  it,  and  rednced  it  to  order,  and  nnd»er  obedience 
to  himself.  It  is  also  a  universal  of  faith,  that  he  came  into  the 
world  to  glorify  the  Humanity,  which  he  assumed  in  the  Avorld, 
that  is,  to  unite  it  with  the  all-begetting  Divinity,  from  whom, 
are  all  things  ;  thus  having  subdued  hell,  he  keeps  it  in  order, 
and  under  obedience,  to  eternity.  ]S^ow  as  neither  of  these 
could  liave  ct^me  to  pass  except  by  means  of  temptations,  even 
to  the  last  and  most  extreme  of  all,  which  was  the  passion  of 
the  cross,  therefore  he  endured  it.  These  are  the  universals  of 
faith  concerning  the  Lord. 

The  universal  of  the  Christian  faith  on  man's  j)art,  is,  to 
believe  in  the  Lord  ;  for  by  believing  in  him  he  has  conjunc- 
tion with  him,  and  by  con] unction,  salvation.  To  believe  in 
him  is  to  have  confidence  that  he  will  save  ;  and  because  nono 
can  have  such  confidence  but  he  who  leads  a  good  life,  there- 
fore this  also  is  understood  by  believing  in  him. 

These  two  universals  of  the  Christian  feith  have  been  speci- 
fically treated  of;  tlie  first,  which  relates  to  the  Lord,  in  The 
Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalein  concerning  the  Lord;  and  the 
Becond,  which  relates  to  man,  in  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jeru- 
salem concerning  Charity  and  Faith,  and  in  The  Doctrine  of 
Life :  and  both  now  in  the  explanations  of  the  Apocalypse. 


CHAPTER  11. 


1.  Unto  the  angel  of  the  church  of  Ephesus  write ;  These 
things  saith  he  that  holdeth  the  seven  stars  in  his  right  hand, 
who  walketh  in  the  midst  of  the  seven  golden  candlesticks. 

2.  I  know  thy  works,  and  thy  labour,  and  thy  endurance, 
p-d  how  thou  canst  not  bear  them  that  are  evil,  and  hast  tried 
them  that  say  they  are  apostles,  and  are  not,  and  hast  found 
them  liars ; 

3.  And  hast  borne,  and  hast  endurance,  and  for  my  name's 
Bake  hast  laboured,  and  hast  not  fainted. 

4.  Nevertheless  I  have  somewhat  against  thee,  that  thou 
hast  left  thy  first  charity. 

5.  Remember  therefore  from  whence  thou  art  fallen ;  and 
repent,  and  do  the  first  works;  or  else  I  will  come  unto  thee 
quickly,  and  will  remove  thy  candlestick  out  of  its  place,  ex- 
cept thou  repent. 

6.  But  this  thou  hast,  that  thou  hatest  the  works  of  the 
Nicolaitanes,  which  I  also  hate. 

80 


Chap.  11.3         THE    APOCALYl'SK  KKVKALEn. 

7.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  liim  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith 
unto  the  chnrclies :  To  hiin  tliac  overcometh  will  I  i^ive  to  eat 
of  the  tree  of  life,  wliich  is  in  the  midst  of  tlie  paradise  of  God, 

8.  And  unto  the  an<jjel  of  the  church  in  Smyrna  write ; 
These  things  saith  the  First  and  the  Last,  who  was  dead,  and 
is  alive. 

9.  I  know  thy"  works,  and  tribulation,  and  poverty  (but 
thou  art  rich),  and  I  know  the  blasphemy  of  them  that  say  they 
are  Jews,  and  are  not,  but  are  the  synagogue  of  Satan. 

10.  Fear  none  of  those  things  which  thou  shalt  sutfer.  Be 
hold,  the  devil  shall  cast  some  of  you  into  prison,  that  ye  may 
be  tried  :  and  ye  shall  have  tribulation  ten  days  :  be  thou  faith 
ful  unto  death,  and  I  will  give  thee  a  crown  of  life. 

11.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Sj)irit  saith 
unto  the  churches  :  He  that  overcometh  shall  not  be  hurt  of  the 
second  death. 

12.  And  to  the  angel  of  "ho  church  in  Pergamos  write , 
These  things  saith  He  that  hath  the  sharp  sword  with  two 
edges. 

13.  I  know  thy  works,  and  where  thou  dwellest,  even  where 
Satan's  throne  is  :  and  thou  boldest  fast  my  name,  and  hast 
not  denied  my  faith,  even  in  those  days  wherein  Antipas  was 
my  faithful  martyr,  who  was  slain  among  you  where  Satan 
dwelleth. 

14.  But  I  have  a  few  things  against  thee,  because  thou  hast 
there  them  that  hold  the  doctrine  of  Balaam,  who  taught  Balak 
to  cast  a  stumbling-block  before  the  children  of  Israel,  to  eat 
things  sacriticed  unto  idols,  and  to  commit  fornication. 

15.  So  hast  thou  also  them  that  hold  the  doctrine  of  the 
Xicolaitanes  ;  which  thing  I  hate. 

16.  Kepent,  or  else  I  will  come  unto  thee  quickly,  and  will 
fight  against  them  with  the  sword  of  my  mouth. 

17.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith 
unto  the  churches  :  To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  give  to  eat 
of  the  hidden  manna;  and  will  give  him  a  white  stone,  and  in 
the  stone  a  new  name  written,  which  no  man  knoweth  saving 
lie  that  receiveth  it. 

18.  And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Thyatira  write; 
These  things  saith  the  Son  of  God,  who  hath  his  eyes  like  unto 
a  flame  of  fire,  and  his  feet  like  tine  brass. 

19.  I  know  thy  works,  and  charity,  and  service,  and  faith, 
and  thy  endurauce,  and  thy  works  ;  and  the  last  to  be  more 
than  the  first. 

20.  Notwithstanding,  I  have  a  few  things  against  thee,  be 
cause  thou  suiferest  that  woman  Jezebel,  who  calleth  hei*self  a 
prophetess,  to  teach,  and  to  seduce  my  servants  to  commit 
whoredom,  and  to  eat  things  sacrificed  unto  idols. 


68  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Cliap.  _w 

21.  And  I  gave  her  time  to  repent  of  her  whoredom ;  and 
she  repented  not. 

22.  Behold,  I  will  cast  her  into  a  bed,  and  them  that  com- 
mit adultery  with  her  into  great  tribulation,  except  they  repent 
of  their  deeds. 

23.  And  I  will  kill  her  children  with  death.  And  all  the 
churches  shall  know  that  I  am  he  that  searcheth  the  reins  and 
liearts ;  and  I  will  give  unto  every  one  of  you  according  to 
your  works. 

24.  But  unto  you,  I  say,  and  unto  the  rest  in  Tliyatira,  as 
many  as  have  not  this  doctrine,  and  who  have  not  known  the 
depths  of  Satan,  as  they  speak  ;  I  will  put  upon  you  none  other 
burden. 

25.  Nevertheless,  that  which  ye  have,  hold  fast  till  I  come. 

26.  And  he  that  overcometh  and  keepeth  my  works  unto 
the  end,  to  him  will  I  give  power  over  the  nations ; 

27.  And  he  shall  rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron,  as  the  vessels 
of  a  potter  shall  they  be  broken  to  shivers :  even  as  I  received 
of  my  Father. 

28.  And  I  will  give  him  the  morning  star. 

29.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saitli 
unto  the  churches. 


THE  SPIRITUAL  SENSE. 


68.  The  Contents  of  the  whole  Chapter.  To  the  churches 
in  the  Christian  world :  to  those  therein  who  primarily  regard 
truths  of  doctrine  and  not  good  of  life,  who  are  understood  by 
the  church  of  Ephesus,  n.  72 — 90.  To  those  therein  who  are 
in  good  as  to  life  and  in  falses  as  to  doctrine,  who  are  under- 
stood by  the  church  in  Smyrna,  n.  91 — 106.  To  those  therein 
who  place  the  all  of  the  church  in  good  works,  and  not  any 
thing  in  truths,  who  are  undei-stood  by  the  church  in  Pergamos, 
n.  107 — 123.  And  to  those  therein  who  are  in  faith  originat- 
ing in  charity,  as  also  to  those  who  are  in  faith  separated  from 
charity,  who  are  understood  by  the  church  in  Thyatira,  n.  121 
— 152.  All  these  are  called  to  the  New  Church,  which  is  the 
New  Jerusalem. 

The  Contents  of  each  Yerse.  v.  1,  "  Unto  the  angel  of 
tne  church  of  Ephesus  write,"  signifies  to  those  and  concerning 
those  who  primarily  respect  truths  of  doctrine,  and  not  good 
of  life  :  "These  things  saith  he  tliat  holdeth  the  seven  stars  in 

82 


Cliap.  ii.]  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  68 

his  riglit  liaiul,"'  signifies  tlic  Lord,  from  wliom,  by  the  Word, 
proceed  all  truths:  "  AV^ho  wtilketh  in  the  midst  of  the  seven 
golden  candlesticks,"  signifies  from  whom  all  illumination  is 
received  by  those  who  are  of  his  church:  v.  2,  "I  know  thy 
works,"  signifies  that  he  sees  all  the  interiors  and  exteriore  of 
man  at  once  :  "And  thy  labour  and  thy  endurance,"  signifies 
their  study  and  patience  :  "•  And  how  thou  canst  not  bear  them 
that  are  evil,"  signifies  that  they  cannot  bear  that  evil  should 
be  called  good,  nor  the  reverse  :  "  And  hast  tried  them  that  say 
they  are  apostles,  and  are  not,  and  hast  found  them  liars,"  sig- 
nifies that  they  scrutinize  tliose  things  which  are  called  goocls 
and  truths  in  the  church,  which  nevertheless  are  evils  and 
falses :  v.  3,  "  And  hast  borne  and  hast  endurance,"  signifies 
patience  with  them :  "And  for  my  name's  sake  hast  laboured, 
and  hast  not  fainted,"  signifies  their  study  and  endeavour  to 
attain  the  things  which  belong  to  religion  and  its  doctrine  :  v, 
4,  "  Nevertheless  I  have  somewhat  against  thee,  that  thou  hast 
left  thy  first  charity,"  signifies  that  this  is  against  them,  that 
they  do  not  esteem  good  of  life  in  the  first  place :  v.  5,  "  Re- 
inem})er  therefore  from  whence  thou  art  fallen,"  signifies  re- 
membrance of  their  error:  "And  repent,  and. do  the  first 
works,"  signifies  that  they  ought  to  invert  the  state  of  their 
life :  "  Or  else  I  will  come  unto  thee  quickly,  and  will  remove 
thy  candlestick  out  of  its  place,  except  thou  repent,"  signifies 
that  otherwise,  of  a  certainty,  illumination  will  not  be  given 
them  to  see  truths  any  longer :  v.  6,  "  But  this  thou  hast,  that 
thou  hatest  the  works  of  the  Nicolaitanes,  which  I  also  hate," 
signifies  that  they  know  this  by  virtue  of  the  truths  they  pos- 
sess, and  thence  are  not  willing  that  works  should  be  meritori- 
ous :  v.  7,  "  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit 
saith  unto  the  churches,"  signifies  that  he  that  understands, 
ought  to  obey  what  the  divine  truth  of  the  Word  teaches  those 
who  are  to  be  of  the  New  Church,  which  is  the  New  Jerusalem** 
"To  him  that  overcometh,"  signifies  he  who  fights  against  evils 
and  falses,  and  is  reformed :  "  Will  1  give  to  eat  of  the  tree  of 
life,"  signifies  appropriation  of  the  good  of  love  and  charity 
from  the  Lord :  "  W  hich  is  in  the  midst  of  the  paradise  of  God," 
signifies  interiorly  in  the  truths  of  wisdom  and  faith. 

V.  8,  "And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Smyrna  write," 
signifies  to  tliose  and  concerning  those  who  are  in  good  as  to 
life,  but  in  falses  as  to  doctrine:  "These  tilings  saitli  the  First 
and  the  Last,"  signifies  the  Lord,  that  he  is  the  only  God  : 
"  Who  was  dead  and  is  alive,"  signifies  that  he  is  neglected  in 
the  church,  and  his  Humanity  not  acknowledged  to  be  divine, 
when  yet  as  to  that  also  he  alone  is  life,  and  from  him  alone 
is  life  everlasting :  v.  9,  "I  know  tliy  works,"  signifies  that  the 
Lord  sees  all  their  interiors  and  exteriors  at  once  :  "And  tribu- 
lation and  poverty  (but  thou  art  rich),"  signifies  that  thev  are 
83 


68  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Ciuip.  11. 

in  falses,  and  theuce  not  in  goods  :  "And  I  know  the  blasphemy 
of  them  that  say  they  are  Jews,  and  are  not,"  signifies  the  false 
assertion  that  they  possess  the  goods  of  love,  when  in  fact  they 
do  not :  "  But  are  the  synagogue  of  Satan,"  signifies,  because 
they  are  in  falses  as  to  doctrine  :  v.  10,  "  Fear  none  of  those 
things  which  thou  shalt  suffer,"  signifies,  despair  not  when  in- 
fested by  evils  and  assaulted  by  falses  :  "  Behold  the  devil  shall 
cast  some  of  you  into  prison,"  signifies  that  their  good  of  life 
will  be  infested  by  evils  from  hell  :  "  That  ye  may  be  tried," 
signifies  by  falses  fighting  against  them  :  "And  ye  shall  have 
tribulation  ten  days,"  signifies  that  it  will  endure  its  full  time: 
"  Be  thou  faithful  unto  death,"  signifies  reception  of  truths 
until  falses  are  removed  :  "And  I  will  give  thee  a  crown  of  life," 
signifies  that  they  will  then  have  eternal  life,  the  reward  of 
victory:  v.  11,  "He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the 
Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches,"  signifies  here,  as  before  :  "  He 
that  overcometh,"  signifies  he  that  fights  against  evils  and 
falses,  and  is  reformed  :  "  Shall  not  be  hurt  of  the  second 
death,"  signifies  that  afterwards  they  shall  not  yield  to  evils 
and  falses  from  hell. 

V.  12,  "And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Pergaraos  write," 
signifies  to  those  and  concerning  those  who  place  the  all  of  the 
church  in  good  works,  and  not  any  thing  in  truths  of  doctrine : 
"  These  things  saith  he  that  hath  the  sharp  sword  with  two 
edges,"  signifies  the  Lord  as  to  the  truths  of  doctrine  from  the 
Word,  by  which  evils  and  falses  are  dispersed  :  v.  13,  "I  know 
thy  works,"  signifies  here,  as  before  :  "And  where  thou  dwell- 
est,  even  where  Satan's  throne  is,"  signifies  their  life  in  dark- 
ness :  "And  thou  boldest  fast  my  name,  and  hast  not  denied 
my  faith,"  signifies  when  yet  they  have  religion  and  worshij) 
according  to  it :  "  Even  in  those  days  wherein  Antipas  was  my 
faithful  martyr,  who  was  slain  among  you  where  Satan  dweli- 
eth,"  signifies  when  all  truth  was  extinguished  by  falses  in  the 
church  :  v.  14,  "  But  I  have  a  few  things  against  thee,"  signifies 
that  the  things  which  follow  are  against  them  :  "Because  thou 
hast  there  them  that  hold  the  doctrine  of  Balaam,  who  taught 
Balak  to  cast  a  stumbling-block  before  the  children  of  Israel, 
to  eat  things  sacrificed  unto  idols,  and  to  commit  fornication," 
signifies  that  there  are  some  among  them  who  do  hypocritical 
works,  by  which  the  worship  of  God  in  the  church  is  defiled 
and  adulterated:  v.  15,  "So  hast  thou  also  them  that  hold  the 
doctrine  of  the  Nicolaitanes,  which  thing  I  hate,"  signifies  that, 
there  are  some  among  them  also  who  make  works  meritorious: 
V.  16,  "  Repent,"  signifies  that  they  should  take  heed  of  such 
works  :  "  Or  else  I  will  come  unto  thee  quickly,  and  will  fight 
against  them  with  the  sword  of  my  mouth,"  signifies,  if  not, 
that  the  Lord  will  contend  with  them  from  the  Word  :  v.  17, 
"  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  1  im  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  untc 
84 


Chap  ii.]  THE  APOOALYPSK  revp:aled.  68 

the  churclies/' sigiilties  here,  as  before  :  ''To  hiin  tliat  over- 
coinetli,"  si<>:uiti('s  here,  tlie  same  as  before :  ''  AVill  I  o;ive  to 
eat  of  the  hidden  manna,"  signifies  the  appropriation  then  of 
the  good  of  celestial  love,  and  thus  conjunction  of  the  Lord 
with  those  who  operate:  "And  will  give  him  a  white  stone," 
signifies  truHis  affirmative  and  imited  to  good:  "And  in  the 
stone  a  new  name  written,"  signities  that  tlius  they  will  have 
good  of  a  quality  such  as  they  had  not  before  :  "  Wliich  no  man 
knoweth  saving  he  that  receiveth  it,"  signifies  that  it  does  not 
appear  ♦o  any  one,  because  it  is  written  in  their  lives. 

V.  18,  "And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Thyatira  write," 
signifies  to  those  and  concerning  those,  who  are  in  faith 
grounded  in  charity,  and  thence  in  good  works  ;  and  also  to 
those  and  concerning  those,  who  are  in  faith  separated  from 
charity,  and  thence  in  evil  works  :  "Tiiese  things  saith  the  Son 
of  God  who  hath  his  eyes  like  unto  a  flame  of  fire,"  signifies 
ihe  Lord  as  to  the  divine  wisdom  of  his  divine  love :  "And  his 
feet  like  fine  brass,"  signifies  divine  good  natural :  v,  19,  "  I 
know  thy  works,"  signifies  here,  as  before  :  "  And  charity  and 
service,"  signifies  the  spiritual  affection  which  is  called  charity,' 
and  its  operation:  "And  faith,  and  thy  endurance,  and  thy 
works,"  signifies  truth  and  the  desire  of  acquiring  and  teaching 
it:  "And  the  last  to  be  more  than  the  first,"  signifies  the  in- 
crease thereof  from  the  spiritual  affccti>*)n  of  truth  :  v.  20, 
"  Notwithstanding,  I  have  a  few  things  against  thee,"  signifies 
what  follows  :  "  Because  thou  sufferest  that  woman  Jezebel," 
signifies  that  among  them  there  are  some  in  the  church  who 
separate  faitli  from  charity  :  "Who  calleth  herself  a  prophetess," 
signifies,  and  who  make  the  doctrine  of  faith  the  sole  doctrine 
of  the  church  :  "  To  teach  and  to  seduce  my  servants  to  commit 
whoredom,"  signifies,  from  which  it  comes  to  pass  that  the 
truths  of  tlie  AVord  are  fiUsified :  "And  to  eat  things  sacrificed 
unto  idols,"  signifies  the  defilement  of  divine  worship,  and  pro- 
fanations :  V.  21,  "And  I  gave  her  time  to  repent  of  her  whore- 
dom, and  she  repented  not,"  signifies  that  they  who  have  con- 
firmed themselves  in  that  doctrine  will  not  recede,  although 
they  see  things  contrary  to  it  in  the  Word  :  v.  22,  "  Beliold,  I 
will  cast  her  into  a  bed,  and  them  that  commit  adultery  with 
her  into  great  tribulation,"  signifies  that  therefore  they  wiL  be 
left  in  their  doctrine  with  falsifications,  and  that  they  will  bo 
grievously  infested  by  falses  :  "  Except  they  repent  of  their 
Heeds,"  signifies  if  they  will  not  desist  from  separating  faith 
from  charity  :  v.  23,  "And  I  will  kill  her  children  with  death," 
Bignifies  that  all  the  truths  of  the  Word  ^\-ill  be  turned  into 
falses  :  "  And  all  the  churches  shall  know  that  I  am  he  which 
pearcheth  the  reins  and  hearts,"  signifies  that  the  church  shall 
know  that  the  Lord  sees  the  (luality  of  every  one's  trutli,  and 
the  quality  of  his  good :  "  And  I  will  give  unto  every  one  of 
85 


69,  70  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         [Chap.  ii. 

you  according  to  your  works,"  signifies  that  lie  gives  unto  every 
one  according  to  the  charity  and  its  faith  whicli  is  in  his  works : 
V.  24,  "  But  unto  you  I  say,  and  unto  the  rest  in  Thyatira,  a3 
many  as  have  not  this  doctrine,"  signifies  to  those  with  whom 
the  doctrine  of  faith  is  separated  from  cliarity,  and  to  those  with 
whom  the  doctrine  of  faith  is  joined  with  charity  :  "And  who 
have  not  known  the  depths  of  Satan  as  they  speak,"  signifies 
they  who  do  not  understand  their  interiors,  which  are  mere 
falses :  "  I  will  put  upon  you  none  other  burden,"  signifies 
only  that  they  should  beware  of  them :  v.  25,  "  Nevertheless, 
that  which  ye  have,  hold  fast  till  I  come,"  signifies  that  they 
should  retain  the  few  things  which  they  know  concerning 
charity,  and  thence  concerning  faith  from  the  Word,  and  live 
according  to  them  until  the  Lord's  coming :  v.  26,  "  And  he 
that  overcometh  and  keepeth  my  works  unio  the  end,"  signifies 
those  who  are  in  charity  and  thence  actually  in  faith,  and 
remain  in  them  to  the  end  of  their  lives  :  "  To  him  will  I  give 
power  over  the  nations,"  signifies  that  they  shall  overcome  the 
evils  in  themselves  which  are  from  hell :  v.  27,  "And  he  shall 
rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron,"  signifies  by  truths  from  the 
literal  sense  of  the  AYord,  and  at  the  same  time  by  rational 
principles  derived  from  natural  light :  "  As  the  vessels  of  a 
potter  shall  they  be  broken  to  shivers,"  signifies  as  of  little  or 
no  account :  "  Even  as  I  received  of  my  Father,"  signifies  this 
from  the  Lord,  who,  when  he  was  in  the  world,  procured  to 
himself  all  power  over  the  hells,  from  the  divine  principle 
which  was  within  him  :  v.  28, "  And  I  will  give  him  the  morn- 
ing star,"  signifies  intelligence  and  wisdom :  v.  29,  "  He  that 
hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  church- 
es," signifies  here,  as  before. 


THE  EXPLANATION. 


69.  This  and  the  following  chapter  treat  of  the  seven 
churches,  by  which  are  described  all  those  in  the  Christian 
church  who  have  any  religion,  and  out  of  whom  the  New  Church, 
which  is  the  New  Jerusalem,  can  be  formed  ;  and  this  is  formed 
by  those  who  approach  the  Lord  only,  and  at  the  same 

TIME    PERFORM   REPENTANCE   FROM   EVIL    WORKS.       TllC    rCSt,    who 

do  not  approach  the  Lord  alone,  from  the  confirmed  negation 
of  the  divinity  of 'his  Humanity,  and-  who  do  not  perform  rer 
pentance  from  evil  works,  are  indeed  in  the  church,  but  have 
nothing  of  the  church  in  them. 

70.  Since  the  Lord  alone  is  acknowledged  as  the  God  of 
heaven  and  earth,  by  those  who  are  of  his  New  Church  in  the 

86 


CllJip..ii.J         THE  AP0CALYP6K  KEVEALED.  71,  7'2 

heavens,  and  by  those  wlio  will  be  of  his  Xew  Church  upon 
earth  ;  therefore,  in  the  first  chapter  of  the  Apocalypse  the 
Lord  iO'^ne  is  treated  of;  and  in  the  two  following  chapters,  it 
is  he  alone  who  speaks  to  the  churches,  and  he  alone  who  will 
give  the  felicities  of  eternal  life.  That  it  is  he  alone  who  speaks 
to  the  churches  is  evident  fi'om  these  passages  :  "  Unto  the 
angel  of  the  church  of  Ephesus  write,  These  things  saith  He 
that  holdeth  the  seven  stars  in  his  right  hand^  who  walketh  in 
the  midst  of  the  seven  golden  candlesticks^''^  ii.  1.  "Unto  the 
angel  of  the  church  in  Smyrna  write.  These  things  saith  the 
First  and  the  Za.9t,"  ii.  8.  "  To  the  angel  of  the  church  in 
Perganios  write.  These  things  saith  He  which  hath  the  shaiy 
sword  with  two  edges^''  ii.  12.  "  Unto  the  angel  of  the  churcn 
in  Thyatira  write.  These  things  saith  the  Son  of  God^  %oho  hath 
his  eyes  like  unto  a  flame  of  fire,  and  his  feet  are  like  fins 
brass"  ii.  18.  "  Unto  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Sardis  write, 
These  things  saith  He  that  hath  the  seven  sj)irits  of  God,  aiid 
the  seve7i  stars,"  iii.  1.  "To  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Phila- 
delphia write,  These  things  saith  He  that  is  holy,  He  that  is 
true,  He  that  hath  the  key  of  David,"  iii.  7.  "And  unto  the 
angel  of  the  church  of  the  Laodiceans  write,  These  things  saith 
the  Amen,  the  faithful  and  true  Witjiess,  the  Beginning  of  the 
creation  of  God,"  iii.  14.  These  expressions  are  taken  from 
the  first  chapter,  in  which  the  Lord  alone  is  treated  of,  and 
where  he  is  described  by  all  these  attributes. 

71.  That  the  Lord  alone  will  give  the  felicities  of  eternal  life 
to  those  who  are  and  will  be  of  his  church,  is  evident  from 
these  passages :  The  Lord  said  to  the  church  of  Ephesus,  "  To 
him  that  overcometh  will  I  give  to  eat  of  the  tree  of  life,  which 
is  in  the  midst  of  the  paradise  of  God,"  ii.  7.  Unto  the  church 
in  Smyrna,  "  /  \oill  give  thee  a  crown  of  life.  He  that  over- 
comctli  shall  not  be  hurt  of  the  second  death,"  ii.  10,  11,  Unto 
the  church  in  Pergamos,  "To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  give 
to  eat  of  the  hidden  manna,  and  will  give  him  a  white  stntie^ 
and  in  the  stone  a  new  name  written,  which  no  man  knoweth 
saving  he  that  receiveth  it."  ii.  17.  Unto  the  church  in  Thya- 
tira, "  To  him  will  I  give  poiver  over  the  nations,  and  I  will 
give  him  the  morning  star,"  ii.  26,  28.  Unto  the  church  in 
Philadelphia,  "  Ilim  that  overcometh  will  I  make  a  ^>e7Z«r  in 
the  temple  of  my  God ;  and  I  will  write  upon  him  the  name  of 
my  God,  and  the  name  of  the  city  of  my  God,  which  is  New 
Jerusalem,  and  vay  new  name,"  iii.  12.  Unto  the  church  in 
Laodicea,  "  To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  grant  to  sit  with  me 
in  my  throne,"  iii.  21.  From  these  passages  it  is  also  evident, 
that  the  Lord  alone  is  to  be  acknowledged  in  the  New  Church. 
Hence  it  is  that  this  church  is  called  The  Lairdj's  Wife,  Apoc. 
xix.  7,  9;  xxi.  9,  10. 

72.  That  the  New  Church,  which  is  the  New  Jerusalem,  Lm 
87 


73 — 75  THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.         [Chap.  11. 

to  be  formed  of  those  who  do  repentance  from  evil  works,  is 
also  manifest  from  the  Lord's  words  to  the  churches :  to  that  in 
Ephesus  ;  "  I  know  thy  works  ; — nevertheless  I  have  somewhat 
against  thee,  that  thou  hast  left  thy  first  charity.  J2epent,  and 
do  the  first  works ;  or  else  I  will  come  unto  thee  quickly,  and 
will  remove  thy  candlestick  out  of  his  place,  except  thou  repent^' 
ii.  2,  4,  5.  To  the  churcli  in  Pergamos  ;  "  I  know  thy  works, 
— repent^''  ii.  13,  16.  To  the  church  in  Thyatira ;  "  I  will  de- 
liver her  into  great  tribulation,,  ^a^ce^^  they  repent  of  their  deeds, 
— and  I  will  give  unto  ^ymc^  one  of  you  according  to  his 
works,"  ii.  19,  23,  23.  To  the  church  in  Sardis ;  "  I  have  not 
found  thy  works  perfect  before  God  ; — i^epent^''  iii.  1 — 3.  To 
the  church  in  Laodicea ;  "  1  know  thy  works ; — be  zealous, 
therefore,  and  rep>ent,^^  iii.  16,  19.  But  to  proceed  to  the  ex- 
planation. 

73.  Unto  the  angel  of  the  church  of  Ephesus  write^  signifies, 
to  those  and  concerning  those,  who  primarily  respect  truths  of 
doctrine  and  not  good  of  life.  It  was  shown  above,  n.  QQ,  that 
by  the  seven  churches  are  not  meant  seven  churches,  but  the 
church  in  the  aggregate,  which  in  itself  is  one,  but  various  ac- 
cording to  reception ;  and  that  those  varieties  may  be  com- 
pared with  the  various  members  and  organs  in  a  perfect  body, 
which  yet  make  a  one.  They  may  also  be  compared  with  the 
various  jewels  in  a  king's  crown ;  and  hence  it  is  that  the  uni- 
versal New  Church,  with  its  various  particulars,  is  described, 
in  what  now  follows,  b}^  seven  churches.  That  by  the  church 
of  Ephesus,  are  understood  those  in  the  church  who  primarily 
respect  truths  of  doctrine  and  not  good  of  life,  is  clear  from 
what  is  written  to  them,  when  understood  inthe  spiritual  sense. 
It  is  w^ritten  to  the  angel  of  that  clmrch,  because  by  an  angel 
is  understood  an  angelic  society  which  corresponds  to  a  church 
(consisting  of  such,  as  above,  n.  65. 

74.  These  things  saith  He  that  holdeth  the  seven  stars  in 
his  right  hand^  signifies  the  Lord,  from  whom,  by  the  Word, 
proceed  all  truths.  That  He  who  holds  the  seven  stars  in  his 
right  hand,  is  the  Lord,  and  that  the  seven  stars  in  his  right 
liand  are  all  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth  in  the  Word, 
which  are  thence  from  the  Lord,  with  the  angels  of  heaven  and 
men  of  the  church,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  51.  The  knowledges 
of  good  and  truth  from  the  Word  are  truths. 

75.  Who  walketh  in  the  midst  of  the  seven  golden  candle- 
sticks, signifies,  from  whom  all  illumination  is  received  by 
those  who  are  of  his  church.  That  the  seven  candlesticks,  in 
the  midst  of  which  was  the  Son  of  Man,  signify  the  cliurcA 
which  is  in  illumination  from  the  Lord,  may  be  seen  above,  n, 
43 — QQ.  He  is  here  said  to  be  walking,  because  to  walk  sig- 
nifies to  live,  11.  167;  and  in  the  midst,  signifies  in  the  iiimosl 
and  thence  in  all,  r    44,  383. 

88 


V  1,2.]  THE  ArOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  76 79 

7t>.  1 1- now  thy  worl's,  sig'iiilies  that  lie  sees  all  the  interiors 
and  exteriors  of  man  at  once.  Works  are  often  mentioned  in 
tlie  Apocalypse,  but  few  know  what  is  meant  by  works.  This, 
however,  is  well  known,  that  ten  men  may  do  works  which 
externally  appear  alike,  and  which  yet  differ  with  them  all ; 
and  this  because  they  proceed  from  different  ends  and  different 
causes,  the  end  and  the  cause  rendering  the  works  either  good 
or  bad  ;  for  every  work  is  a  work  of  the  mind,  therefore  such 
as  is  the  quality  of  the  mind,  such  is  that  of  the  work:  if  the 
mind  be  charity,  the  work  becomes  chariiy  ;  but  if  the  mind  be 
not  charity,  the  work  is  lu^t  charity  :  still,  however,  they  may 
both  appear  externally  alike.  Works  appear  to  men  in  their 
external  form,  but  to  angels'in  their  internal  form  ;  and  to  the 
Lord  their  quality  is  apparent  from  inmost  to  outmost.  Works 
in  their  external  form  appear  like  the  outside  of  fruits,  but 
works  in  their  internal  form  appear  like  the  inside  of  fruits, 
where  there  are  innumerable  eatable  parts,  and  in  the  midst 
seeds,  in  which  there  are  also  things  innumerable,  which  are  too 
miniite  for  the  keenest  eye  to  discern,  yea,  which  are  above  the 
intellectual  sphere  of  man :  such  are  all  works,  the  internal 
quality  of  which  the  Lord  alone  sees,  and  which  the  angels  also 
perceive  from  the  Lord,  when  ])erformed  by  man.  But  on  this 
subject  more  may  be  seen  in  The  Angel'iG  Wisdom  concerning 
the  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom,  n.  209 — 220,  and  n. 
277—281 ;  and  also  below,  n.  141,  Gil,  868.  From  this  it  may 
appear,  that  by  "  I  know  thy  works,"  is  signified  that  the 
Lord  sees  all  the  interiors  and  exteriors  of  man  at  once. 

77.  And  thy  labour  and  endurance  ',  that  this  signifies  their 
study  and  patience,  is  evident  without  explanation. 

78.  And  how  thou  canst  not  hear  them  that  are  evil,  signi- 
fies thiit  they  camiot  bear  that  evil  shall  be  called  good,  nor 
the  reverse,  because  this  is  contrary  to  the  truths  of  doctrine. 
That  this  is  the  signification  of  these  words,  is  evident  from 
what  follows,  by  which  is  signified  that  they  scrutinize  those 
things  in  the  church  which  are  called  goods  and  truths,  when 
yet  they  are  evils  and  falses.  To  know  goods,  whether  they  be 
good  or  evil,  pertains  to  doctrine,  and  is  among  its  truths,  but 
to  do  good  or  evil,  pertains  to  life:  this  is  said,  therefore,  of 
those  who  hold  truths  of  doctrine  in  the  first  place,  and  not 
goods  of  life,  n.  73.  By  them  which  are  evil,  in  the  spiritual 
sense,  are  not  understood  evil  persons,  but  evils,  because  this 
sense  is  abstracted  from  persons. 

79.  And  hast  tried  them  which  say  they  are  apostles,  and  are 
not,  and  hast  found  them  liars,  signifies  that  they  scrutinize 
those  things  which  are  called  goods  and  truths  in  the  church, 
which  nevertheless  are  evils  and  falses.  That  this  is  what  is 
signified,  cannot  be  seen  except  by  the  spiritual  sense,  and  con- 
sequently by  knowing  what  is  meant  by  apostles  and  liars :  by 

89 


80,  81  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         [Chap.  ii. 

apostles  are  not  understood  apostles,  but  all  who  teach  the 
goods  and  truths  of  the  church,  and,  in  an  abstract  sense,  the 
goods  and  truths  themselves  of  its  doctrine.  That  apostles  are 
not  understood  by  apostles,  clearly  appears  from  these  words 
addressed  to  them :  "  When  the  Son  of  Man  shall  sit  on  the 
throne  of  his  glory,  ye  also  shall  sit  upon  twelve  thrones  judg- 
ing the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel,"  Matt.  xix.  28  ;  Luke  xxii.  30. 
AYho  does  not  see  that  the  apostles  neither  will  nor  can  judge 
any  one,  much  less  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel,  but  that  the 
Lord  alone  will  do  this  according  to  the  goods  and  truths  of  the 
doctrine  of  the  church  from  the  Word  ?  In  like  manner  from 
this  passage :  "  And  the  wall  of  the  city  New  Jerusalem  had 
twelve  foundations,  and  in  them  the  names  of  tlie  twelve 
apostles  of  the  Lamb,"  Apoc.  xxi.  14 ;  because  by  the  New 
Jerusalem,  is  signified  the  New  Church,  n.  880,  881  ;  and  by 
its  foundations,  all  the  goods  and  truths  of  its  doctrine,  n.  902, 
and  following  numbers.  And  also  from  this  passage  :  "  Rejoice 
over  her,  thou  heaven,  and  ye  holy  apostles  and  prophets," 
Ajjoc.  xviii.  20.  What  can  the  rejoicing  of  the  apostles  and 
propliets  signify,  unless  by  them  are  meant  all  who  are  in  goods 
and  truths  of  doctrine  in  the  church  ?  By  the  Lord's  disciples 
are  meant  those  wdio  are  instructed  by  the  Lord  in  the  goods 
and  truths  of  doctrine  ;  but  by  apostles  they  who,  after  they  are 
instructed,  teach  them  ;  for  it  is  said,  "  Jesus  sent  his  twelve 
disciples  to  preach  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  the  apostles,  when 
they  were  returned,  told  him  all  that  they  had  done,"  Luke  ix. 
1,  2,  10;  Mark  vi.  7,  30.  That  by  liars  are  meant  they  who 
are  in  falses,  and,  abstractedly,  the  falses  themselves,  may 
appear  from  many  places  in  the  Word,  which,  if  they  were 
adduced,  would  fill  several  pages ;  neither  are  lies,  in  the  spir- 
itual sense,  any  thing  else  but  falses.  From  these  considera- 
tions it  may  appear,  that  by  "  Thou  hast  tried  them  which  say 
they  are  apostles,  and  are  not,  and  hast  found  them  liars,"  is 
signified  that  they  scrutinize  those  things  which  are  said  to  be 
good  and  true  in  the  church,  but  which  nevertheless  are  evil 
and  false. 

80.  And  hast  hoi'ne  and  hast  endurance  /  that  this  signifies 
their  patience  with  them,  is  evident  without  explanation. 

81.  A7id  for  my  name's  sake  hast  laboured,  and  hast  not 
fainted,  signifies  their  study  and  endeavour  to  attain,  and  also 
to  teach,  the  things  which  belong  to  religion  and  its  doctrine. 
By  the  name  of  Jehovah  or  of  the  Lord,  in  the  Word,  is  not 
meant  his  name,  but  all  by  which  he  is  worshipped ;  and  be- 
cause he  is  worshipjied  in  the  church  according  to  doctrine,  by 
his  name  is  meant  the  all  of  doctrine,  and,  in  a  universal  sense, 
the  all  of  religion.  The  reason  why  these  things  are  meant  by 
the  name  of  Jehovah,  is,  because  in  heaven  no  other  names  are 
given  but  what  involve  the  quality  of  any  one,  and  the  quality 

90 


V.  2,  3.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  81 

of  God  is  all  by  which  he  is  -svoi-shipped.  He  that  is  not  aware 
of  tiiis  signitication  of  name  in  the  Word,  can  only  nndorstand 
name  ;  in  which  alone  nothing  of  worship  nor  of  religion  is  in 
volved.  He  that  keeps  in  mind,  therefore,  the  signitication  of 
the  NAME  OF  Jeuovau  as  here  explained,  whenever.it  occurs  in 
the  Word,  will  understand  of  himself  what  it  means  in  the  fol- 
lowing places  :  "  In  that  day  shall  ye  say.  Praise  Jehovah,  call 
upon  his  name^''  Isaiah  xii.  4.  "  Jehovah,  have  we  waited  for 
thee  :  the  desire  of  our  soul  is  to  thy  nanie^  by  tliee  only  will 
we  make  mention  of  thy  name^''  Isaiah  xxvi.  8,  13.  "From 
the  rising  of  the  sun  shall  he  call  upon  my  navie,^''  Isaiah  xli, 
25.  '•  From  the  rising  of  the  sun  even  unto  the  going  down  of 
the  same,  my  name  shall  be  great  among  the  Gentiles ;  and  in 
every  place  incense  shall  be  offered  unto  my  name  y  for  m}' 
name  shall  be  great  among  the  Gentiles  :  but  ye  have  profaned 
my  naine,  in  that  ye  say,  the  table  of  Jehovah  is  polluted  ; — 
and  ye  have  snuffed  at  my  name — when  ye  brought  that  which 
was  torn,  and  lame,  and  sick,"  Malachi  i.  11 — 13.  "  For  all 
people  will  walk  in  the  7iame  of  his  God,  and  we  will  walk  in 
the  name  of  Jehovah  our  God,"  Micah  iv.  5.  "  Every  one  that 
is  called  by  my  nam,e^  for  I  have  created  him  for  my  glory, 
I  have  formed  him,"  Isaiah  xliii.  7.  "  Thou  slialt  not  take  the 
name  of  Jehovah  thy  God  in  vain  ;  for  Jehovah  will  not  hold 
him  guiltless  that  taketh  \i\^name  in  vain,"  Deut.  v.  11.  They 
shall  worship  Jehovah  in  one  place  where  he  will  ^;>w^  his 
name,  Deut.  xii.  5,  11,  13,  14;  xvi.  2,  6,  11,  15,  16;  besides 
many  other  places.  Who  may  not  perceive  that  in  these,  name 
alone  is  not  understood  ?  The  same  is  signified  in  the  New 
Testament  by  the  name  of  the  Lord,  as  in  the  following:  Jesus 
said,  "Ye  shall  be  hated  of  all  men  for  my  name^s  sake,"  Matt. 
X.  22;  xxiv.  9.  "For  where  two  or  three  are  gathered  toge- 
ther in  \x\y  name,  there  am  I  in  the  midst  of  them,"  Matt,  xviii. 
20.  "And  every  one  that  hath  forsaken  houses,  or  brethren,  or 
sisters, — for  my  name^s  sake,  shall  receive  an  hundred-fold,  and 
shall  iidierit  everlasting  life,"  Matt.  xix.  29.  "But  as  many  as 
received  hira,  to  them  gave  he  power  to  become  the  sons  of 
God,  even  to  them  that  believe  on  his  name^''  John  i.  12. 
"Many  believed  in  his  name^''  John  ii.  23.  "  He  that  believeth 
not  is  condemned  already,  because  he  hath  not  believed  in 
the  name  of  the  only-begotten  Son  of  God,"  John  iii.  18. 
They  who  believe  will  have  life  in  his  name,  John  xx.  31. 
"  Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,"  Matt, 
xxi.  9  ;  xxiii.  39  ;  Luke  xiii.  35  ;  xix.  38.  That  the  Lord,  as  to 
his  Humanity,  is  the  name  of  the  Father,  appears  in  these 
places  :  " Father, glorify  thy  name^  John  xii.  28.  "Hallowed 
be  thy  name,  thy  kingdom  come,"  Matt.  vi.  9  ;  also  Exod.  xxiii. 
20,  2i  ;  Jerem.  xxiii.  6  ;  Micah  v.  4.  That  name,  applied  to 
others,  signifies  the  quality  of  woi-ship,  appears  in  the  following 
91 


S2 — Si  THE    APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Cliap.  U. 

passages :  The  slieplierd  of  tlie  sheep  "  calleth  his  own  sheep 
by  their  name^''  John  x.  3,  "  Thou  hast  a  few  names  even  in 
Sardis,"  Apoc.  iii.  4.  "  I  will  write  upon  him  the  name  of 
my  God,  and  the  name  of  the  city  of  my  God,  which  is  Kew 
Jerusalem,-;^and  my  new  name^''  Apoc.  iii.  12  ;  and  in  other 
places.  Hence  it  may  appear,  that  "  for  my  name's  sake  thou 
hast  laboured,  and  hast  not  fainted,"  signifies  study  and  en- 
deavour to  acquire,  and  also  to  teach,  the  things  which  belong 
to  religion  and  its  doctrine. 

82.  Nevertheless^  I  have  somewhat  against  thee,  that  thou  hast 
left  thy  first  charity^  signifies  that  this  is  against  them,  that  the;^ 
do  not  esteem  good  of  life  in  the  first  place,  which,  nevertheless, 
was  and  is  done  in  the  beginning  of  every  church.  This  is 
said  to  the  church,  because  by  it  are  meant  those  in  the  church 
who  primarily  or  in  the  first  place  respect  truths  of  doctrine,  and 
not  goods  of  life,  n,  73  ;  when  yet  good  of  life  is  to  be  considered 
in  the  first  place,  that  is,  primarily ;  for  in  proportion  as  a  man 
is  in  goods  of  life,  in  the  same  proportion  he  is  really  in  truths  of 
doctrine,  and  not  vice  versa  ;  the  reason  is,  because  goods  of  life 
open  the  interiors  of  the  mind,  and  these  being  opened,  truths 
api)ear  in  their  own  light,  whence  they  are  not  only  understood, 
bat  also  loved  ;  not  so  when  doctrinals  are  primarily,  or  in  the 
first  place,  respected  ;  in  this  case  truths  may  indeed  be  known, 
but  not  seen  interiorly,  and  loved  from  spiritual  affection  ;  but 
this  has  been  illustrated  above,  n.  17.  Every  church,  at  its  be- 
ginning, respects  goods  of  life  in  the  first  place,  and  truths  of 
doctrine  in  the  second ;  but  as  the  church  declines,  it  begins  to 
respect  truths  of  doctrine  in  the  first  place,  and  goods  of  life  in 
the  second;  and  at  length  in  the  end  it  respects  ftiith  alone, 
and  then  it  not  only  separates  the  goods  of  charity  from  faith, 
but  also  omits  them.  From  hence  then  it  may  appear,  that  by 
tiiese  words,  "  Thou  hast  left  thy  first  charity,"  is  signified  that 
they  do  not  esteem  good  of  life  in  the  first  place,  which  never- 
theless is,  and  has  been  done  at  the  beginning  of  every  church. 

83.  Remem})er  therefore  from  whence  thou  art  fallen  ;  that 
this  signifies  remembrance  of  their  error,  is  plain  from  what 
has  just  been  said. 

8-1.  And  repent^  and  do  the  first  worlcs^  signifies  that  they 
ouo-ht  to  invert  the  state  of  their  life.  Every  man  respects 
truths  of  doctrine  in  the  first  place,  yet  so  long  as  he  does  this, 
he  is  like  unripe  fruit ;  but  he  who  is  regenerated,  after  he  has 
imbibed  truths,  respects  good  of  life  in  the  first  place,  and  in 
proportion  as  he  does  so,  he  grows  ripe  like  fruit;  and  in  pro- 
portion as  he  ripens,  in  the  same  proportion  the  seed  in  him 
becomes  prolific.  These  two  states  have  been  witnessed  by  me, 
in  men  wh'.  were  become  spirits  :  in  the  first  state,  they  ap- 
peared turned  to  the  valleys  which  are  over  hell ;  and  in  the 
second,  to  the  paradises  in  heaven.  It  is  this  conversion  of  th« 
92 


V.  3 6.]  THE    APOCALTPSK    KK^KALED.  85,  8G 

Btate  of  life  wliich  is  liere  understood.  Tliat  this  is  efFectied 
by  repentance,  and  after  it  by  good  of  life,  is  understood  by 
"Repent,  and  do  tJie  tii-st  works." 

85.  Or  else  I  will  come  unto  thee  quicliy,  a7id  loill  remove 
thy  candlestick  out  of  its  place,  except  thou  repent,  signifies  that 
otherwise  of  a  certainty  illumination  will  not  be  given  them  to 
see  truths  any  longer.  By  quickly  is  signified  certainly,  n,  4. 
947  ;  and  by  candlestick,  the  church  as  to  illumiiuition,  n.  43. 
QQ ;  hence,  by  removing  it  out  of  its  place,  is  signified  to  re- 
move illumination,  that  they  may  not  see  truths  in  their  own 
light,  and  at  length,  that  they  may  not  see  them  any  more. 
This  follows  from  what  was  said  above,  n.  82,  namely,  that  if 
truths  of  doctrine  are  respected  primarily,  or  in  the  first  place, 
they  may  indeed  be  known,  but  not  interiorly  seen,  and  loved 
from  spiritual  aflfection,  therefore  they  successively  perish  ;  for 
to  see  truths  from  their  own  light,  is  to  see  them  from  man's 
interior  mind,  which  is  called  the  spiritual  mind,  aiul  this  mind 
is  opened  by  charity  ;  and  when  it  is  open,  liglit  and  the  afi'ec- 
tion  of  understanding  truths  flow  in  out  of  heaven  from  the 
Lord,  which  constitutes  illumination.  The  man  who  is  in  this 
illumination,  acknowledges  truths  as  soon  as  he  reads  or  hears 
them  ;  but  it  is  not  so  with  the  man  whose  spiritual  mind  is  not 
opened,  who  is  one  that  is  not  principled  in  the  goods  of  charit}', 
liowsoever  he  may  be  principled  in  the  truths  of  doctrine. 

86.  But  this  thou  hast,  that  thou  hatest  the  wor^ks  of  the 
.Wicolaitanes,  which  I  also  hate,  signifies  that  they  know  this 
by  virtue  of  the  truths  they  possess,  and  thence  are  not  willing 
that  works  should  be  meritorious,  because  this  is  contrary  to 
the  merit  and  righteousness  of  the  Lord.  That  the  works  of 
the  Nicolaitanes  are  meritorious  works,  has  been  made  known 
by  revelation.  It  is  said,  that  the}-^  hate  those  works,  because 
the  church  from  the  truths  of  its  doctrine  knows  this,  and 
thence  does  not  will  it :  therefore  it  is  said,  "  this  thou  luist." 
Yet  all  those  make  works  meritorious  who  put  the  truths  of 
faith  in  the  first  place,  and  the  goods  of  charity  in  the  second; 
out  not  those  who  put  the  goods  of  charity  in  the  first  place 
the  reason  is,  because  genuine  charity  admits  not  of  merit, 
for  it  loves  to  do  goi)d,  existing  in  it  and  acting  from  it ;  and 
from  good  it  looks  to  the  Lord ;  and  from  truths  it  knows  that 
all  good  is  from  him  ;  it  therefore  has  an  aversion  to  merit. 
Now  because  they  who  respect  the  truths  of  faith  in  the  first 
place,  cannot  do  any  other  works  than  such  as  are  meritorious, 
and  yet  know,  from  their  truths,  that  such  works  ought  to  be 
detested,  therefore  this  follows  after  its  having  been  said,  that 
if  they  do  not  esteem  charity  in  the  first  place,  they  do  works 
which  ought  to  be  held  in  aversion.  It  is  asserted,  that  it  is 
contrary  to  tlie  merit  and  righteousness  of  the  Lord  ;  for  they 
who  place  merit  in  works,  claim  righteousness  to  themselves; 

93 


87.  88  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Cliap.  il. 

for  thej^  aar  that  justice  is  on  their  side  because  thej  have 
merit,  when  yet  it  is  the  greatest  injustice,  inasmuch  as  the 
Lord  alone  has  merit,  and  alone  does  good  in  them.  That  the 
Lord  alone  is  rio-hteousness,  is  taught  in  Jeremiah :  "  Behold, 
the  days  come,  that  I  will  cause  the  branch  of  righteousness  to 
grow  up  unto  David,  and  this  is  his  name  whereby  he  shall  be 
called,  Jehovah  our  righteousness^''  xxxiii.  5,  6  ;  xxxiii.  15,  16. 

87.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith 
unto  the  churches,  signifies  that  he  who  understands,  ought  to 
obey  what  the  divine  truth  of  the  Word  teaches  those  who  are  to 
be  of  the  New  Church,  which  is  the  New  Jerusalem.  By  heai'- 
ing,  is  signified  both  to  perceive  and  to  obey ;  becfluse  a  person 
gives  attention  in  order  that  he  may  perceive  and  obey  :  that 
both  these  are  signified  by  hearing,  is  evident  from  common 
discourse,  when  we  speak  of  hearing  any  one  and  of  hearkening 
to  him ;  the  latter  signifying  to  obey,  and  the  former  to  per- 
ceive. That  hearing  has  these  two  significations,  is  from  corre- 
spondence ;  for  they  are  in  the  province  of  the  ears  in  heaven, 
who  are  in  perception  and  at  the  same  time  in  obedience.  As 
both  these  things  are  signified  by  hearing,  therefore  the  Lord  so 
often  said,  "  He  that  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear,"  Matt. 
xi.  15  ;  xiii.  43;  Mark  iv.  9,  23 ;  vii.  16  ;  Luke  viii.  8  ;  xiv.  354 
and  the  same  is  likewise  said  to  all  the  churches,  as  is  evident 
from  verses  11,  17,  29,  of  this  chapter,  and  from  vei-ses  6,  13, 
and  22,  of  the  following.  But  by  the  Spirit  which  speaks  to 
the  churches,  is  signified  the  divine  truth  of  the  Word  ;  and  by 
the  churches,  the  universal  church  in  the  Christian  world.  That 
by  the  Spirit  of  God,  which  is  also  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  under- 
stood divine  truth  proceeding  from  the  Lord,  may  be  seen  in 
The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Lord,  n. 
51 ;  and  as  the  universal  church  is  understood,  it  is  not  said, 
what  the  Spirit  saith  to  the  church,  but  what  the  Spirit  saith  to 
the  churches. 

88.  To  lihn  that  overcometh,  signifies  he  that  fights  against 
his  evils  and  falses,  and  is  reformed.  Now  as,  in  what  is 
written  to  the  seven  churches,  is  described  the  state  of  all  in 
the  Christian  church  who  are  capable  of  receiving  the  doctrine 
of  the  New  Jerusalem,  and  of  living  according  to  it,  thus  who 
are  capable,  by  combats  against  evils  and  falses,  of  being  re- 
formed ;  therefore  it  is  said  to  each,  He  that  overcometh  :  as 
here  to  the  church  of  Ephesus,  "  To  him  that  ovecometh  will 
I  give  to  eat  of  the  tree  of  life."  To  the  church  in  Smyrna, 
"  He  that  overcometh  shall  not  be  hurt  of  the  second  death," 
li.  11.  To  the  church  in  Pergamos,  "To  him  that  overcometh 
will  I  give  if]  eat  of  the  hidden  manna,"  ii.  17.  To  the 
church  in  Thyatira,  "  He  that  overcometh  and  keepeth  mj 
works  unto  the  end,  to  him  will  I  give  power  over  the  na- 
tions," ii.  -26.     To  the  church  in  Sardis,  "  He  that  overcometh^ 

94 


y.  6,  7.]  THE  apocalypse  revealed.  89,  90 

the  same  sliall  be  clothed  in  white  raiment,"  iii.  5.  To  tlio 
church  in  PhiUidclphia,  "llim  that  overcomdh  will  I  make  a 
pillar  in  the  temple  of  my  God,"  iii.  12,  And  to  the  church 
in  Laodicea,  "  To  him  that  ovcrcometh  will  I  grant  to  sit  with 
mo  in  my  throne,"  iii.  21.  lie  that  ovcrcometh,  in  these  places, 
signiiies  he  who  iights  against  evils  and  falscs,  and  thus  is 
reformed. 

89.  Will  I  give  to  cat  of  the  tree  of  life,  signifies  appropria- 
tion of  the  good  of  love  and  charity  from  tlie  Lord.  To  eat, 
in  the  Word,  signities  to  appropriate  ;  and  the  tree  of  life  sig- 
nifies the  Lord  as  to  the  good  of  love  ;  therefore  by  eating  of 
the  tree  of  life,  is  signified  the  appropriation  of  the  good  of 
love  from  the  Lord,  To  eat  signifies  to  appropriate,  because 
as  natural  food,  when  it  is  eaten,  is  appropriated  to  the  life  of 
man's  body,  so  spiritual  food,  when  it  is  received,  is  appro- 
priated to  the  life  of  his  soul.  The  tree  of  life  signifies  the 
Lord  as  to  the  good  of  love,  because  nothing  else  is  signified  by 
the  tree  o/Life  in  the  garden  of  Eden  ;  also  because  ceb^stial 
and  spiritual  life  is  derived  to  man  from  the  good  of  love  and 
charity,  which  is  received  from  the  Lord.  Tree  is  mentioned  in 
many  places,  and  by  it  is  understood  a  man  of  the  church,  and 
in  a  universal  sense  the  church  itself,  and  by  its  fruit  good  of 
life;  the  reason  is,  because  the  Lord  is  the  tree  of  life,  from 
whom  comes  all  good  in  the  man  of  the  church,  and  in  the 
church  :  but  of  this  in  its  proper  place.  It  is  said  the  good  of 
love  and  charity,  because  the  good  of  love  is  celestial  good, 
which  is  that  of  love  to  the  Lord,  and  the  good  of  charity  is 
spiritual  good,  which  is  that  of  love  towards  our  neighbour. 
The  nature  and  quality  of  these  two  kinds  of  good  will  be  ex- 
plained in  what  follows  ;  they  are  treated  of  also  in  the  wt)rk 
concerning  Heaven  and  Hell,  n.  13 — 19. 

90.  ^\  hick  is  in  the  midst  of  the  paradise  of  God,  signifies 
interiorly  in  the  truths  of  wisdom  and  faith.  In  the  midst  sig- 
nifies the  inmost,  n,  44,  383,  here,  the  interior ;  the  paradise 
of  God  signifies  the  truths  of  wisdom  and  faith ;  therefore  the 
tree  of  life,  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  paradise  of  God,  sig- 
nifies the  Lord  with  the  good  of  love  and  charity  interiorly  in 
the  truths  of  wisdom  and  faith :  good  is  also  within  truths,  for 
good  is  the  esse  of  life,  and  truth  is  the  existere  of  life  tlience 
derived,  as  is  abundantly  shown  in  The  Angelic  Wisdom  con- 
cerning th,e  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom.  That  the 
paradise  of  God  means  the  truth  of  wisdmn  and  of  faith,  is 
evident  from  the  signification  of  garden  in  the  Word  :  garden 
there  signifies  wisdom  and  intelligence,  because  trees  signify 
men  of  the  church,  and  their  fruits  goods  of  life ;  nothing  else 
is  signified  by  the  garden  of  Eden,  for  by  it  is  described  the 
wisdom  of  Adam.  The  same  is  understood  by  the  garden  of 
God  in  Ezekiel :  "  With  thy  wisdom  and  thine  intelligence  tho 

95 


91,  92  THK   APOCALYPSK    REVEALKD.  [Cliap.  11. 

hadst  gotten  thee  riches  :  thou  hast  been  in  Eden  the  garden  of 
God;  every  precious  stone  was  thy  covering,"  xxviii.  4,  13; 
speaking  of  Tj^re,  by  whicli  is  signified  the  church  as  to  the 
knowledges  of  truth  and  good,  thus  as  to  intelligence  ;  therefore 
it  is  said.  In  thy  wisdom  and  thine  intelligence  thou  hadst  got- 
ten thee  riches  :  by  a  covering  of  precious  stones  are  signified 
tlie  truths  of  intelligence.  Again :  "  Behold,  the  Assyrian  M'as 
a  cedar  in  Lebanon  ; — the  cedars  in  the  garden  of  God  could 
not  hide  him  :  nor  any  tree  in  the  garden  of  God  was  like  unto 
liim  in  his  beauty.  AH  the  trees  of  Eden  that  were  in  the  gar- 
den of  God  envied  him,"  xxxi.  3,  8,  9.  This  is  said  of  Egypt  and 
Ashnr,  because  by  Egypt  is  signified  science,  and  by  Ashur  ra- 
tionality, by  which  comes  intelligence;  the  like  is  signified  by 
cedar.  I3ut  because,  by  his  rationality,  he  came  into  the  pride 
of  self-derived  intelligence,  therefore  it  is  said  of  him,  "To 
whom  art  thou  thus  like  in  glory  and  in  greatness  among  the 
trees  of  Eden?  yet  shalt  thou  be  brought  down  with  the  trees  of 
Eden  unto  the  nether  parts  of  the  earth  :  thou  shalt  lie  in  the 
midst  of  the  uncircuracised,"  verse  18  of  the  same  chapter;  the 
uncircumcised  are  they  who  are  witliout  the  good  of  charity. 
So  in  Isaiah  :  "  Jehovah  shall  comfort  Zion ; — and  he  will  make 
her  wilderness  like  Eden,  and  her  desert  like  the  garden  of  Je- 
hovah,''^ li.  3.  Zion  there  is  the  cliurch;  the  wilderness  and  the 
desert  are  the  defect  and  ignorance  of  truth ;  Eden  and  the 
garden  of  God  are  wisdom  and  intelligence.  Wisdom  and  in- 
telligence are  also  signified  by  garden  in  Isaiah  Iviii.  11  ;  Ixi. 
11  ;  Jerem.  xxxi.  12  ;  Amos  ix.  14;  Numb.  xxiv.  6.  The  man 
of  the  church  is  also  like  a  garden  as  to  intelligence,  when  he 
is  in  the  good  of  love  from  the  Lord,  because  the  spiritual  heat 
which  vivifies  him  is  love,  and  spiritual  liglit  is  intelligence 
thence  derived.  It  is  well  known  that  gardens  in  this  world 
flourish  by  means  of  heat  and  light ;  it  is  the  same  in  heaven: 
in  heaven  there  appear  paradisiacal  gardens,  with  fruit-trees 
according  to  the  wisdom  of  the  inhabitants  grounded  in  the 
good  of  love  received  from  the  Lord  :  but  around  those  who  are 
in  intelligence  and  not  in  the  good  of  love,  there  do  not  appear 
gardens,  but  grass  ;  and  around  those  who  are  in  faith  sepa- 
rated from  charity,  not  even  grass,  but  sand. 

91.  And  imto  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Smyrna  write,  sig- 
nifies to  those  and  concerning  those,  who  are  in  good  as  to 
life,  but  in  falses  as  to  doctrine.  That  these  are  meant  by  the 
church  in  Smj-rna,  is  clear  from  the  things  written  to  it  when 
understood  in  the  spiritual  sense. 

92.  These  things  saith  the  First  and  the  Last,  signifies  the 
Lord,  that  he  is  the  only  God.  That  the  Lord  calls  liimself  the 
First  and  the  Last,  also  the  Beginning  and  the  End,  and 
Alpha  and  Omega,  and  He  who  is,  and  who  was,  and  who  is  tc 
come,  may  be  seen,  chao.  i.  4,  8,  11,  17;  and  what  they  signify 

96 


V.  7 — 9.]         THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  93 — 06 

above,  n.  13,  29 — 31,  38,  57;  where  it  is  ]il:un,  that  by  tho 
above  is  also  uuderstood,  tliat  he  is  tlie  only  God. 

93.  Who  loas  (lead  and  is  alive^  signifies  that  he  is  neglected 
in  the  church,  and  Ids  Ilumainty  not  acknowledged  to  be 
divine,  when  yet  as  to  that  also  he  alone  is  life,  and  from  him 
alone  is  life  everlasting.  That  this  is  understood  by  these 
words,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  58 — 60,  where  they  are  ex- 
plained. Why  these  and  the  preceding  things  are  said,  is, 
because  the  primary  falsity  of  those  who  are  described  l)y  this 
church,  is,  that  they  do  not  acknowledge  the  Lord's  Divine 
Humanity,  and  therefore  do  not  approach  him. 

94.  I  knoio  t/iy  worl's ,'  that  this  signifies  that  the  Lord  sees 
all  their  interiors  and  exteriors  at  once,  is  evident  from  the  same 
explained  above,  n.  76 ;  in  the  present  case  it  denotes  that  he 
Bees  that  they  are  in  falses,  and  yet  as  to  life  in  goods,  Avhicli 
they  believe  to  be  goods  of  life,  when  yet  they  are  not. 

95.  And  ajfiidion  and  poverty  (but  thou  ait  r/c/f).  signifies 
that  they  are  in  falses,  and  thence  not  in  goods.  To  know 
their  afiiiction  signifies  to  see  that  they  are  in  falses,  and  to 
know  their  poverty  signifies  to  see  that  they  are  not  in  goods ; 
for  in  the  Word,  affliction  is  predicated  of  falses,  as  above,  n. 
33 ;  and  poverty  of  the  defect  of  goods,  neither  is  spiritual 
poverty  an}'  tiling  else.  Poor  and  needy  are  often  mentioned 
in  the  Word,  and  in  the  spiritual  sense  by  poor  is  understood 
one  who  is  not  in  truths,  and  by  needy  one  who  is  not  in  goods. 
These  words  are  also  added,  "  but  thou  art  rich,"  but  in  a 
parenthesis,  because  in  some  copies  they  are  omitted. 

96.  And  I  know  the  Uasphemy  of  them  that  say  they  are 
Jeios,  and  are  not^  signifies  the  false  assertion  that  they  possess 
the  goods  of  love,  when  yet  they  do  not.  BlaspheiBy  here  sig- 
nifies false  assertion  ;  liy  Jews  are  not  signified  Jews,  but  they 
who  are  in  the  good  of  love,  and,  abstractedly,  goods  of  love  ; 
80  by  the  blas])liemy  of  them  which  say  they  are  Jews,  and  are 
not,  is  signified  the  false  assertion  that  they  possess  the  goods 
of  love,  when  yet  they  do  not.  By  Jews  are  meant  they  who 
are  in  the  good  of  love,  because  in  the  AVord  by  Judah,  in  a 
supreme  sense,  is  meant  the  Lord  as  to  the  divine  good  of 
divine  love,  and  by  Israel,  tho  Lord  as  to  the  divine  truth  of 

.divine  wisdom  ;  hence  l>y  Jews  are  signified  they  who  are  in 
the  good  of  love  from  the  Lord,  and  by  Israel  they  who  are  in 
divine  truths  from  the  Lord:  that  these  are  meant  by  Jews, 
may  appear  from  many  passages,  which  will  be  adduced  beloAV, 
n.  350;  something  may  also  be  seen  on  this  subject  in  The 
Doctrine  of  the  JV^eio  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Lord,  n.  51.  In 
the  abstract  the  goods  of  love  are  meant  by  Jews,  because  tha 
spiritual  sense  is  abstracted  from  persons,  as  may  be  seen  above, 
n.  78,  79.  lie  who  is  not  aware,  tluit  by  Jews,  in  the  AV^ori, 
are  meant  those  who  belong  to  the  Lord's  celestial  church,  by 
97  G 


97  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Cliap.  U 

reason  of  their  being  principled  in  love  to  him,  is  liable  to  Ml 
into  many  mistakes  when  reading  the  prophetical  part  of  the 
Word  :  but  see  below,  n.  350. 

97.  I^ut  are  the  synagogue  of  Satan^  signifies  because  they 
are  in  falses  as  to  doctrine.  It  is  called  synagogue,  because 
Jews  are  mentioned,  and .  as  they  taught  in  synagogues,  by 
synagogue  is  signitied  doctrine ;  and  because  by  Satan  is  under- 
stood the  hell  of  those  who  are  in  falses,  therefore  it  is  called 
the  synagogue  of  Satan.  Hell  is  called  the  devil  and  Satan, 
and  by  the  hell  which  is  called  the  devil,  are  understood  such 
there  as  are  in  evils,  properly  who  are  in  self-love;  and  by  the 
hell  which  is  called  Satan,  are  understood  such  there  as  are  in 
falses,  properl}-  who  are  in  the  pride  of  self-derived  intelligence : 
the  hells  are  called  the  devil  and  Satan,  because  all  who  are  in 
them  are  called  devils  and  Satans.  Hence  then  it  may  appear, 
that  by  their  being  the  synagogue  of  Satan,  is  signitied  that  as 
to  doctrine  they  are  in  falses.  But  as  they  who  are  in  good  as 
to  life,  and  in  talses  as  to  doctrine,  are  here  treated  of,  and  as 
such  know  no  other  than  that  they  are  in  good,  and  that  their 
falses  are  truths,  something  shall  be  said  respecting  them.  All 
the  good  of  worship  is  formed  by  truths,  and  all  truth  is  formed 
from  good,  therefore  good  without  truth  is  not  good,  neither  is 
truth,  without  good,  truth  ;  they  appear  indeed  in  their  external 
form  to  be  so,  but  still  they  are  not.  The  conjunction  of  good 
and  truth  is  called  the  heavenly  marriage ;  from  this  is  the 
church  in  man,  and  it  is  heaven  in  him ;  if  therefore  there  are 
falses  instead  of  truths  in  man,  then  he  does  good  from  a  false 
ground,  which  is  not  good,  for  it  is  either  plwirisaical  or  meri- 
torious, or  natural  connate  good.  But  examples  will  illustrate 
this :  he  who  is  in  this  falsity,  that  he  thinks  he  does  good 
from  himself,  from  his  possessing  the  faculty  of  doing  good ; 
the  good  of  such  a  man  is  not  good,  because  he  himself  is  in  it, 
and  not  tlie  Lord.  He  who  is  in  this  falsity,  that  he  can  do 
good  which  is  in  itself  good,  without  a  knowledge  of  what  is 
evil  in  himself,  so  without  repentance,  although  he  appears  to 
do  good,  yet  he  does  not  do  good,  because  without  i-epentance 
lie  is  in  evil.  He  "who  is  in  this  falsity,  that  good  purities  him 
from  evils,  and  does  not  know  any  thing  of  the  evils  in  which  he 
is,  such  a  man  does  no  other  good  than  spurious  good,  which  is 
inwardly  contaminated  by  his  evils.  He  who  is  in  this  falsity, 
that  there  is  a  plurality  of  gods,  the  good  which  such  a  num 
does  is  divided  good,  and  divided  good  is  not  good.  He  who  is 
in  this  falsity,  that  he  believes  the  divinity  in  the  Lord's  Hu- 
jnanity  is  not  like  the  soul  in  the  body,  cannot  do  good  from 
him,  and  good  not  from  the  Lord  is  not  good,  for  it  is  contrary 
to  these  words  of  the  Lord :  '-  Except  a  man  abide  in  me  and 
I  in  him,  he  cannot  bring  forth  any  fruit ;  for  without  me  ye 
can  do  nothing.  If  a  man  abide  not  in  me,  ho  is  cast  forth  as 
98 


V.  9,  10.]  Tm:    APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  98,  09 

a  branch  and  is  withered,  and  is  cast  into  the  fire  and  burned," 
John  XV.  4 — (! ;  and  so  in  many  other  instances ;  for  good  de- 
rives its  quality  from  truths,  and  trutlis  derive  their  esse  from 
good.  Who  does  not  know,  that  the  church  is  no  cluirch  witli- 
out  doctrine,  and  doctrine  must  teach  how  a  man  is  to  think  of 
God  and  from  God  ;  and  how  he  is  to  act  from  God  and  witli 
God  ;  therefore  doctrine  must  be  derived  from  truths,  to  act 
according  to  which,  is  Avliat  is  called  good  ;  wlieucc  it  follows, 
that  to  act  according  to  falses  is  not  ^-ood.  It  is  thought,  that 
in  the  good  which  a  man  does,  there  is  not  any  thing  derived 
from  truths  or  falses,  when  yet  the  quality  of  good  is  not  de- 
rived from  any  other  source,  for  tliey  cohere  together  like  love 
aTid  wisdom,  and  also  like  love  and  foolishness  ;  it  is  the  love 
of  the  wise  man  which  does  good,  but  the  love  of  the  fool  does 
what  is  like  good  in  externals,  but  totally  unlike  it  in  internals  ; 
TJierefore  the  good  of  a  wise  num  is  like  pure  gold,  but  the  good 
of  a  fool  is  like  gold  coverinf^  dirt. 

98.  Fear  none  of  those  things  ivhich  thou  shalt  suffer^  sig- 
nifies, despair  not  when  ye  are  infested  by  evils  and  assaulted 
by  falses,  because  they  who  are  in  goods  as  to  life,  aiul  in  falses 
as  to  doctrine,  cannot  but  be  so  infested  and  assaulted.  This  is 
plain  from  what  now  follows. 

99.  Behold^  the  devil  shall  cast  some  of  you  into  prison.,  sig- 
nifies that  their  good  of  life  will  be  infested  by  evils  from  hell. 
That  this  is  signified  by  being  cast  into  custody  or  into  prison 
by  the  devil,  is,  because  by  the  devil  is  meant  the  hell  wliere 
they  are  who  are  in  evils,  and  thus,  abstractedly,  the  evil  which 
is  there  and  from  thence,  n.  97.  To  be  cast  into  prison,  denotes 
to  be  infested,  because  they  who  are  infested  by  evils  from  hell 
are  as  if  tliey  were  bound  in  prison,  for  they  cannot  think  any 
thing  but  evil,  when  yet  they  will  what  is  good ;  hence  comes 
combat  and  interior  anxiety,  from  which  they  cannot  be  re- 
leased, being  like  persons  who  are  in  bonds ;  the  reason  is,  be- 
cause their  good  is  not  good  so  far  as  it  coheres  with  falses,  and 
so  far  as  it  coheres  with  falses  evil  is  in  it;  therefore  it  is  that 
which  is  infested.  But  this  infestation  does  not  exist  in  the 
natural  Avorkl,  but  in  the  spiritual  world,  thus  after  dcatli.  It 
has  often  been  permitted  me  to  see  their  infestations ;  they  la- 
ment, saying  that  they  have  done  good,  and  desire  to  do  good, 
and  yet  now  they  cannot,  because  of  the  evils  which  surround 
them.  But  still  they  are  not  all  alike  infested,  but  more  se- 
verely according  as  they  have  confirmed  themselves  in  falses, 
therefore  it  is  said  the  devil  shall  cast  sojne  of  you  into  prison. 
That  the  confirmation  of  what  is  false  is  hurtful,  may  be  seen 
in  The  Doctrine  of  the  Neio  Jerusaletn  concerning  the  Sacred 
Scripture^  n.  91 — 97.  In  the  Word,  by  prisoners  the  same  is 
signified  as  here  by  those  who  will  be  cast  into  prison,  as  in 
these  ])laces  :  I  will  "  give  thee  for  a  covenant  of  the  people, — tc 

99 


100,  101  THE    APOCALYPSE   KEVEALED.  [Chap.  11. 

bring  out  the  prisoners  from  the  prison,  and  them  that  sit  in 
darkness  out  of  the  prison-house^''  Isaiah  xlii.  6,  T ;  xlix.  8,  9. 
"Jehovah  hath  sent  me, — to  prochiim  liberty  to  the  captives,  and 
the  opening  of  the  ^;>r?'.s6>;i  to  them  that  are  bound^''  Isaiah  Lxi.  1. 
"  By  the  blood  of  thy  covenant  I  have  sent  for  thy  prisoners 
out  of  the  pit,"  Zech.  ix.  11.  "  God — bringeth  out  those  which 
are  hound  with  chains^''  Psalm  Ixviii.  6.  "  Let  the  sighing  of 
the  prisoner  come  before  thee,"  Psalm  Ixxix.  11.  "  To  hear  the 
groaning  of  the  prisoner,  to  loose  those  that  are  appointed  to 
die,"  Psalm  cii.  20,  "  Jehovah  looseth  the  prisoners^''  Psalm 
cxlvi,  7.  It  is  plain  that  by  prisoners  in  these  places  are  not 
meant  those  who  are  imprisoned  in  the  world,  but  those  who 
are  imprisoned  by  hell,  thus  by  evils  and  falses.  Similar  is  the 
signification  of  these  words  -of  the  Lord :  "  I  was  in  prison, 
and  ye  came  unto  me,"  Matt.  xxv.  30.  As  the  Lord  brings 
out  of  prison,  or  delivers  from  infestation,  those  who  have  been 
in  good  as  to  life,  though  in  falses  as  to  doctrine,  he  says,  "  Fear 
none  of  those  things  which  thou  shalt  suffer ;"  also,  "  Be  thou 
faithful,  and  I  will  give  thee  a  crown  of  life." 

100.  That  ye  may  he  tried,  signifies  by  falses  fighting  against 
them.  The  reason  why  this  is  signified  is,  because  all  spiritual 
temptation  is  a  combat  of  the  devil  and  the  Lord,  which  shall 
have  possession  of  man  ;  the  devil  or  hell  brings  out  his  falses, 
and  re]3roaches  and  condemns  him,  but  the  Lord  brings  out  his 
truths,  and  withdraws  him  from  falses,  and  delivers  him.  It  is 
this  combat  which  appears  to  man  as  in  himself,  because  it  is 
from  evil  spirits  who  are  with  him,  and  is  called  temptation. 
That  spiritual  temptation  is  nothing  else,  I  know  by  experience, 
because  in  my  temptations  I  have  seen  the  internals  who  brought 
them  on,  and  have  perceived  the  influx  from  the  Lord,  who 
delivered  me. 

101.  And  ye  shall  have  tribulation  ten  days,  signifies  that 
this  will  endure  its  full  time,  that  is,  as  long  as  they  are  willing 
to  abide  in  falses.  Affliction  here  signifies  infestation,  of  which 
above,  n.  33,  95,  thus  temptation ;  and  ten  days  signify  the 
duration  of  that  state  to  the  full :  therefore  it  follows,  "  Be 
thou  faithful  unto  death,"  by  which  is  signified  the  reception 
and  acknowledgment  of  truths,  until  by  their  means  falses  are 
removed,  and  as  it  were  abolished.  That  ten  days  signify 
duration  of  state  to  the  full  is,  because  days  signify  states,  and 
ten  what  is  full ;  for  times  in  the  "Word  signify  states,  n.  91T, 
and  numbers  designate  their  quality,  n.  9.  As  ten  signify 
what  is  full,  they  also  signify  much  and  many,  also  every  thing 
and  all,  as  may  appear  from  these  passages  which  follow  : 
"  Those  men  which  have  seen  my  glory, — have  tempted  me  now 
these  ten  times,"  Numb,  xiv,  22.  "These  ten  times  have  ye 
reproached  me,"  Job  xix.  3.  "Daniel  was  found  ten  timea 
wiser  than  the  astrologers,"  Dan.  i.  20.      ^^  Ten  women  shall 

100 


V.  10.]  Tire   APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  102,  103 

bake  your  bread  in  one  oven,"  Lcvit.  xxvi.  26.  ^'•Tcn  men  out 
of  air  languages  of  the  nations,  shall  take  hold  of  the  skirt  ot 
him  that  is  a  Jew,"  Zech.  viii.  23.  Because  ten  signify  many, 
and  also  all,  therefore  the  things  which  were  written  upon  the 
tables  of  the  decalogue  by  Jehovah,  are  called  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments, Dent,  iv.  13;  X.  4:  the  Ten  Commandments  sig- 
nify all  truths,  for  they  include  them.  And  because  ten  signify 
ftll  and  every  thing,  therefore  the  Lord  compared  the  kingdoni 
of  heaven  to  teii^ virgms^  Matt.  xxv.  11.  Likewise  in  the 
parable  he  said  of  the  noblenum,  that  he  gave  his  servants  Uii 
talents  to  trade  with,  Luke  xix.  12,  18.  Many  are  also  signi- 
fied by  the  ten  horns  of  the  beast  which  came  up  out  of  the 
sea,  Dan.  vii.  24,  and  by  the  ten  horns,  and  the  ten  crowns 
upon  the  horns,  of  the  l)east  wliich  came  up  out  of  the  sea,  in 
the  Apoc.  xiii.  1 ;  also  by  the  ten  horns  of  the  dragon,  Apoc. 
xii.  3,  and  by  the  ten  horns  of  the  scarlet-coloured  beast,  upon 
which  the  woman  sat,  Apoc.  xvii.  3,  7,  12 :  by  ten  horns  is 
signified  much  power.  From  the  signification  of  the  number 
ten,  as  denoting  what  is  full,  much,  and  all,  it  may  be  seen 
why  it  was  ordained,  that  a  tenth  i)art  of  all  the  fruits  of  the 
earth  should  be  given  to  Jehovah,  and  from  Jehovah  to  Aaron 
and  the  Levites,  Numb,  xviii.  24,  28;  Deut.  xiv.  22  ;  also,  why 
Abram  gave  Melchizedek  tithes  of  all.  Gen.  xiv.  18,  19 ;  for 
by  this  was  signified  that  all  they  had  was  from  Jehovah,  and 
sanctified,  see  Malachi  iii.  10.  From  these  considerations,  it 
may  now  appear,  that  by  having  affliction  ten  days,  is  signified 
that  their  temptation  will  last  its  full  time,  that  is,  so  long  as 
they  are  willing  to  remain  in  falses ;  for  falses  are  never  taken 
away  from  a  man  against  his  will  or  consent,  but  with  it. 

102.  Be  thou  faithful  unto  death,  signifies  reception  and 
acknowledgment  of  truths,  until  falses  are  removed,  and,  as  it 
were,  abolished.  By  be  thou  faithful  unto  death,  in  the  natural 
sense,  is  meant,  that  they  must  not  depart  from  their  fidelity  to 
the  end  of  life;  but  in  the  spiritual  sense,  that  they  must  re- 
ceive and  acknowledge  truths,  until  falses  are  removed  by 
them,  and,  as  it  were,  abolished,  for  this  sense  is  properly  for 
those  who  are  in  the  spiritual  world,  who  are  not  liable  to  death, 
therefore  by  death  is  iiere  meant  the  end  of  their  temptations. 
It  is  said,  mitil.they  are,  as  it  were,  abolished,  because  fa'ses 
and  evils  with  man  are  not  abolished,  but  removed,  and  when 
they  are  removed  they  appear  as  if  they  were  abolished,  be- 
cause when  evils  and  falses  are  removed,  man  is  kept  in  goods 
and  truths  by  the  Lord. 

103.  And  I  will  give  thee  a  crown  of  life^  signifies  that 
they  will  then  have  eternal  life,  the  reward  of  victory.  Because 
temptations  even  unto  death  are  here  treated  of,  it  is  said  that 
a  crown  of  life  will  be  given  them,  such  as  the  martyrs  had, 
who  were  faithful  even  unto  death ;  and  because  the  martyrs 

101 


104 108         THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         [Chap.  U 

wished  for  it,  therefore  after  death  crowns  were  given  them,  bv 
wliich  was  signified  the  reward  of  victory;  they  still  appear  in 
their  crowns  in  heaven,  which  it  has  been  permitted  me  to  see. 
10-i.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  hhn  hear  lohat  the  Sj)/'ritsalth 
unto  the  churches  ',  that  this  signifies  that  he  wlio  understands 
these  things,  ought  to  obey  what  the  divine  truth  of  tlie  AVord 
teaches  those  who  are  to  be  of  the  New  Church,  which  is  the 
New  Jerusalem,  is  evident  from  the  explanation  of  the  same 
words  above,  n.  87. 

105.  He  that  overco^neth  •  that  this  signifies  he  tliat  fights 
against  evils  and  falses,  and  is  reformed,  is  evident  from  n.  88, 
where  the  same  words  occur,  and  are  explained. 

106.  Shall  not  he  hurt  of  the  second  death,  signifies  that 
afterwards  they  shall  not  yield  to  the  evils  and  falses  from  hell 
By  tlie  first  death  is  meant  the  death  of  the  body,  and  by  the 
second  death  is  meant  the  death  of  the  soul,  which  is  damna- 
tion, see  below,  n.  853,  873  ;  and  whereas  by  "Be  thou  faithfu) 
nnto  death,"  is  signified  that  they  ought  to  acknowledge  truth? 
till  by  their  means  falses  are  removed,  n.  102,  it  follows,  that 
by  "  not  being  hurt  of  the  scond  death,"  is  signified  that  after- 
wards they  shall  not  sink  under  evils  and  falses  from  hell,  for' 
thereby  they  are  exempted  from  damnation. 

107.  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Pergamos  write, 
signifies  to  those  and  concerning  those,  who  place  the  all  of 
the  church  in  good  works,  and  not  any  thing  in  the  truths  of 
doctrine.  That  these  are  meant  by  the  church  in  Pergaraos, 
is  evident  from  what  is  written  to  it,  when  understood  in  the 
spiritual  sense.  But  something  must  be  premised  concerning 
these,  in  order  to  make  it  known  who  they  are  in  the  church, 
and  what  is  their  quality  :  there  are  two  kinds  of  men,  of  whom 
the  Christian  church  at  this  day  for  the  most  part  consists  ;  one, 
who  are  in  works  alone,  and  in  no  truths ;  the  other,  who  are 
in  worship  alone,  and  neither  in  works  nor  in  truths  :  the 
former  are  here  treated  of;  the  latter  in  what  is  written  to  the 
church  in  Sardis,  n.  15-1.  They  who  are  in  works  alone  and  in 
no  truths,  are  like  people  who  act  and  do  not  understand,  and 
actions  without  understanding  are  inanimate ;  they  appear  to 
the  angels  like  linages  carved  out  of  wood  ;  and  they  who  have 
placed  merit  in  their  works,  appear  like  the  same  images,  but 
naked,  without  any  covering  whatever :  they  appear  also  like 
sheep  without  wool ;  and  they  who  place  merit  in  them,  like 
such  sheep  covered  with  dirt ;  for  all  works  are  done  from  the 
will  by  the  understanding,  and  in  the  understanding  they  re- 
ceive life,  and  at  the* same  time  clothing;  hence  it  is,  as  was 
observed,  that  they  appear  to  the  angels  as  things  inanimate 
and  naked. 

108.  These  things  saith  He  that  hath  the  sharp  sword  with 
tioo  edges,  signifies  the  Lord  as  to  the  truths  of  doctrine  from 

102 


V.   10 — 13.]       THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  109,  110 

tlie  "Word,  by  which  evils  and  falscs  are  dispersed.  Tti  tlie 
preceding  chapter,  where  the  Son  of  Man  is  described,  wiio  is 
the  Lord  as  to  the  Word,  it  is  said,  that  a  sharp  two-edged 
sword  was  seen  to  go  out  of  liis  mouth,  verse  16  :  that  hy  it  is 
signitied  the  dispersion  ot"  falses  by  the  Word,  and  by  doctrine 
thence  tVoni  the  Lord,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  52.  This  is  said 
to  those  and  concerning  those,  avIio  phice  the  all  '">f  the  church 
in  works  alone,  and  not  any  thing  in  truths  ot"  doctrine  ;  to 
wlioin,  because  they  omit  or  lightly  esteem  truths  of  doctrine 
which  yet  are  necessary,  it  is  said  in  what  follows:  "  liepent; 
or  else  I  will  come  unto  thee  quickly,  and  will  fight  against 
them  with  the  sword  of  \\\y  mouth,"  verse  10  of  this  chapter. 

109.  /  hncno  thy  2Vo?'l's  /  that  this  siguilies  that  the  Lord 
sees  all  their  interiors  and  exteriors  at  once,  niay  be  seen  above^ 
n.  76,  where  the  same  is  explained  ;  in  this  instance  it  denotes, 
that  the  Lord  sees  that  they  are  in  works  alone,  and  not  in 
doctriiuds. 

110.  Aiidiohere  thou  dwellest,  even  where  Satan'' s  throne  is, 
signiiies  their  life  in  darkness.  That  by  Satan  is  meant  the 
hell  .of  those  who  are  in  falses,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  97  ;  and 
to  be  in  falses,  is  to  be  in  spiritual  darkness:  spiritual  darkness, 
the  shadow  of  death,  and  blindness,  are  nothing  else  but  tJie 
states  of  those  in  hell,  who  are  in  the  falses  of  evil ;  therefore, 
in  the  Word,  falses  are  described  thereby  :  from  which  it  may 
appear,  that  by  Satan's  throne  is  signilied  mere  darkness.  But 
by  darkness  here,  is  not  meant  that  they  are  in  mere  falses,  but 
that  they  are  in  no  truths  of  doctrine;  for  truths  of  doctrine, 
which  are  from  the  Word,  are  in  light,  therefore  not  to  be  in 
truths,  is  not  to  be  in  light,  consequently  to  be  in  darkness. 
That  truths  are  in  the  light  of  heaven,  may  be  seen  in  the  work 
concerning  Heaven  and  Hell,  n.  126 — 140  ;  and  in  77ie  Doctrine 
of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Sacred  Scripture,  n,  73, 
104 — 113.  The  AVord  in  many  places  treats  of  those  who  are 
in  darkness,  in  the  shadow  of  death,  and  in  thick  darkness, 
whose  eyes  the  Lord  will  open  ;  and  by  them  are  meant  the 
Gentiles,  who  have  been  in  good  works,  but  not  in  any  truths, 
because  they  did  not  know  the  Lord,  neither  were  possessed  of 
the  Word  ;  exactly  similar  to  these  are  they  in  the  Christian 
world,  who  are  in  works  alone  and  in  no  truths  of  doctrine, 
therefore  they  cannot  be  called  any  thing  else  but  Gentiles  ; 
they  know  the  Lord  indeed,  but  yet  do  not  approach  him,  and 
are  in  possession  of  the  Word,  but  yet  do  not  search  ibr  the 
truths  it  contains.  By  "  I  know  where  thou  dwellest,"  is 
signitied  to  know  their  nature  and  quality,  because  in  the 
spiritual  world  every  one  dwells  according  to  the  quality  of  his 
alfection.  Hence  it  may  appear,  that  by  "  thou  dwellest  where 
Satan's  throne  is,"  is  signilied  the  life  of  their  good  in  darkness. 
For  Satanic  spirits  have  power  through  those  in  the  spiritual 

103 


ill 114  THE   APOCALYPSE   KEVEALED.  [Cliap.  ii. 

world  who  are  in  works  alone,  but  none  without  them,  for  they 
draw  tlieni  into  connexion  with  themselves,  provided  any  one 
of  them  says,  I  am  thy  neighbour,  and  on  this  account  good 
offices  ought  to  be  extended  to  me  ;  on  hearing  this  they  accede, 
and  give  him  assistance,  without  inquiring  who  and  what  he  is, 
since  they  are  destitute  of  truths,  by  which  alone  one  can  be 
distinguished  from  another.  This  also  is  signified  by  "thou 
dwellest  where  Satan's  throne  is." 

111.  A.7id  thou  /widest  fast  my  name,  and  hast  not  denied 
my  faith,  signifies  w^hen  yet  they  have  religion  and  worship 
according  to  it,  and  also  achnowledge  the  Word  to  be  divine 
truth.  That  by  the  name  of  Jehovah,  or  of  the  Lord,  is  under- 
stood all  by  which  he  is  worshipped,  thus  the  all  of  religion, 
may  be  seen  above,  n.  81  ;  here  therefore  it  signifies  that  they 
have  religion,  and,  according  to  religion,  worship.  By  faith, 
here,  is  not  meant  that  which  exists  in  the  church  at  tliis  day, 
but  divine  truth,  because  faith  is  of  truth  and  truth  is  of  faith ; 
nothing  else  is  understood  by  faith  in  heaven,  nor  by  the  faith 
of  God  in  the  AVord ;  hence  it  is  that  faith  and  truth  are  ex- 
pressed in  the  Hebrew  language  by  one  and  the  same  word, 
and  are  called  Amuna.  Since  then  by  the  faith  of  God  is 
meant  divine  truth,  and  the  Word  is  divine  truth  itself,  it  is 
evident  that  by  "  thou  hast  not  denied  my  laith,"  is  meant,  that 
they  acknowledge  that  the  W^ord  is  divine  truth. 

112.  Even  in  those  days  vjherehi  Antijxis  was  my  faithful 
martyr,  who  was  slain  among  you  where  Satan  dwelleth,  signifies 
when  all  truth  was  extinguished  by  falses  in  the  church.  By 
martyr  is  signified  confession  of  the  truth,  the  same  as  by  wit- 
ness above,  n.  6,  16,  because  martyr  and  witness  are  expressed 
in  the  Greek  language  by  one  and  the  same  word.  Antipas  is 
named  from  the  spiritual  or  angelic  language.  Since  by  Antipas 
the  martyr  is  signified  a  confesser  of  the  truth,  and,  abstractedly, 
the  truth  itself,  it  is  evident  that,  by  the  "  days  \vherein  Antipas 
was  my  faithful  nuirtyr,  who  was  slain  among  you,  where  Satan 
dwelleth,"  is  signified,  when  truth  was  extinguished  by  falses 
in  the  church.  That  by  Satan  is  understood  the  hell  where  and 
from  whence  falses  are,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  97. 

113.  3ut  I  have  a  few  things  against  thee,  signifies  that 
the  things  which  follow  are  against  them,  as  is  evident  without 
explanation. 

114.  Because  thou  hast  there  them  that  hold  the  doctrine  of 
JBalaam,  who  taugld  Balak  to  cast  a  stumbling-hloch  before  the 
children  of  Israel,  to  eat  things  sacrificed  unto  idols,  and  to 
eommit  fornication,  signifies  that  there  are  some  among  them 
who  do  hypocritical  works,  by  which  the  worship  of  God  in 
the  church  is  defiled  and  adulterated.  That  by  these  expressions 
are  meant  they  who  do  works  by  which  worship  is  defiled  and 
adulterated,  is  evident  from  the  historical  parts  of  the  Word 

104: 


r.  13—16.]        THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  115,  116 

wliioli  relate  to  Balaam  and  Balak  king  of  Moab  ;  for  Balaam 
was  a  hypocrite,  and  a  diviner,  and  spake  well  of  the  children 
of  Israel  from  Jehovah,  when  yet  he  cherished  in  his  heart  a 
desire  to  destrciy  them,  Avhich  he  also  effected  by  tlie  advice  ho 
gave  Balak  ;  from  which  it  is  evident  that  his  works  were  hypo- 
critical. That  he  was  a  diviner  a])pears  in  Numbers  xxii.  7  ; 
xxiv.  1 ;  Josh.  xili.  22  ;  that  he  sjiake  in  favour  of  the  children 
of  Israel,  by  blessing  them,  Numb,  xxiii,  7 — 15,  18 — 21: ;  xxiv. 
5 — 9,  16 — 19  ;  but  that  lie  i*pake  these  things  from  Jehovah, 
Numb,  xxiii.  5,12,16;  xxiv.  13.  That  he  cherished  in  his 
lieart  a  desire  to  destroy  them,  and  also  effected  it  l)y  the  advice 
given  to  Balak,  Numb.  xxxi.  16.  The  advice  which  he  gave, 
Numb.  XXV.  1,  9,  18.  This  was  the  stumbling-block  which  he 
cast  before  the  children  of  Israel,  concerning  which  it  is  wi-itten, 
"'  In  Shittim  the  peoj^le  began  to  commit  whoredom  with  the 
daughters  of  Moab,  and  they  called  the  people  unto  the  sacri- 
fices of  their  gods ;  and  the  people  did  eat  and  bowed  down  to 
their  gods,"  especially  they  joined  themselves  unto  Baalpeor : 
"  and  those  that  died  in  the  plague  were  twenty-four  thousand," 
Numb.  XXV.  1,  9,  18.  By  the  children  of  Israel  is  signiiied 
the  church  ;  by  eating  of  their  sacrifices,  is  signified  the  appro- 
priation of  what  is  holy  ;  therefore  by  eating  of  the  sacrifices  of 
other  gods,  or  things  sacrificed  unto  idols,  is  signified  the  defile- 
ment and  pi-ofanation  of  what  is  holy  ;  by  committing  whore- 
dom, is  signified  to  adulterate  and  pervert  worship  ;  that  by 
Moab,  and  therefore  by  the  king,  and  his  daughters,  are  also 
signified  they  who  defile  and  adulterate  worship,  may  be  seen 
in  T/te  Arcana  Ccelestia,  n.  2168.  From  hence  it  is  evident, 
that  this  is  the  s})iritual  sense  of  these  words. 

115.  So  hant  thou  also  them  that  hold  the  doctrine  of  the 
NicolaitaniiS^  v^hicJi  thhuj  I  hate,  signifies  that  there  are  some 
among  them  also  who  make  works  meritorious.  That  the  works 
of  the  Nicolaitanes  are  meritorious  works,  may  be  seen  above, 
n.  86.  Among  those  who  place  the  all  of  the  church  and  of 
salvation  in  good  works,  and  not  any  thing  in  truths  of  doctrine, 
as  is  the  case  with  those  who  are  meant  by  the  church  in  Per- 
gamos,  there  are  some  who  do  hypocritical  works  and  also 
meritorious  works,  but  not  all,  therefore  it  is  said,  "Thou  hast 
there  them  that  hold  the  doctrine  of  Balaam ;"  as  also,  ••'  So 
hast  thou  also  them  that  hold  the  doctrine  of  the  Nicolaitanes  ;" 
and  all  works  of  worship  are  either  good,  or  meritorious,  or 
hypocritical,  therefore  the  two  latter  are  here  sjooken  of,  and 
good  works  afterwards  in  what  follows. 

116.  lleiKnt^  signifies  that  they  should  take  heed  of  such 
works,  and  do  works  which  are  good.  That  these  things  are 
signified  by  the  injiuictiou  to  repent,  is,  because  the  subject 
now  relates  to  meritorious  and  hypocritical  goods,  of  which 
they  are  to  take  he(>d  who  place  the  all  of  the  church  and  of 

105 


117 120         THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         [Cliaj).  ii. 

salvation  in  good  works,  and  not  any  thing  in  truths  of  doctrine; 
■when  yet  truths  of  doctrine  teach  how  and  what  is  to  be  willed 
and  taught,  or  loved  and  believed,  that  works  may  be  good. 

117.  Or  else  I  will  come  unto  thee  quickly^  and  will  Jight 
against  them  with  the  sword  of  tay  on-outh,  signifies,  if  not,  that 
the  Lord  will  contend  with  them  from  the  Word,  and  convince 
them  that  their  works  are  evil.  But  the  explanation  of  these 
words  may  be  seen  above,  n,  108. 

118.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him,  hear  what  the  Sjnrit  saith 
ttnto  the  churches,  signifies  that  lie  who  understands  these 
things,  ought  to  obey  what  the  divine  truth  of  the  Word 
teaclies  those  w^ho  are  to  be  of  the  New  Church,  which  is  the 
New  Jerusalem,  as  appears  above,  n.  87,  where  the  same 
words  are  explained. 

119.  To  him  that  overcometh,  signifies  he  that  fights  against 
his  evils  and  falses,  and  is  reformed,  as  is  also  evident  from  the 
explanation  given  above,  n.  88. 

120.  Will  I  give  to  eat  of  the  hidden  manna,  signifies  wis- 
dom, and  at  the  same  time  the  appropriation  of  the  good  of 
celestial  love  in  works,  and  thus  conjunction  of  the  Lord  with 
those  who  do  them.  By  the  hidden  manna,  which  they  wall 
liave  who  are  in  good  works,  and  who  at  the  same  time  adjoin 
the  truths  of  doctrine  to  works,  is  meant  hidden  wisdom  of  a 
quality  like  that  which  they  who  are  in  the  third  heaven  enjoy  ; 
for  these,  by  reason  of  their  having  been  in  good  works,  and  at 
the  same  time  in  truths  of  doctrine  in  the  world,  are  in  wisdom 
above  other  angels,  but  in  hidden  wisdom,  for  it  is  M'ritten  in 
their  lives  more  than  in  their  memory ;  therefore  that  they  are 
such,  they  do  not  talk  of  the  truths  of  doctrine,  but  do  them, 
and  the}^  do  them  because  they  know  them,  and  also  see  them 
when  others  speak  them.  That  the  good  of  love  is  appropriated 
to  them,  and  that  the  Lord  conjoins  himself  with  those  who 
adjoin  truths  of  doctrine  to  good  works,  and  thus  gives  them 
wisdom  in  their  good,  and  that  this  is  giving  them  to  eat  of  the 
hidden  manna,  may  appear  from  these  words  of  the  Lord  :  "  For 
the  bread  of  God  is  he  wliich  cometh  down  from  heaven,  and 
givetli  life  unto  the  world.  lam  the  bread  of  life  :  your  fathers 
did  eat  manna  in  the  wilderness  and  are  dead.  This  is  the 
bread  which  cometh  down  from  heaven,  that  a  man  may  eat 
thereof,  and  not  die.  I  am  the  living  bread,  who  came  down 
from  heaven ; — if  any  man  eat  of  this  bread  he  shall  live  for 
ever,"  John  vi.  31 — 51  ;  from  which  it  is  evident,  that  the 
Lord  himself  is  the  hidden  manna,  which  will  be  in  their  works, 
if  they  approach  and  worship  him  alone.  Whether  you  say  the 
Lord  or  the  good  of  celestial  love,  and  the  wisdom  of  that  love, 
it  amounts  to  the  sam.e.  But  this  is  an  arcanum  which  entera 
with  difficulty  into  tlie  natural  idea  of  any  one,  so  long  as  it  is 
eurrounded  with  a  cloud  from  worldly  things  ;  but  it  does  entei 

106  • 


V.  16,  17.]        THE  APOCALTrSE  KEVEALED.         121 — 123 

wlien  the  mind  is  serene  and  in  the  sunsliinc,  as  may  be  seen  in 
Th^  Angelic  Wisdom  conccrnimj  the  Divine  Love  mid  the  Divine 
Wisdom,  whicli  treats  on  this  snbject  from  be<;innin<ij  to  end. 

121.  And  will  give  him  a  loJiite  stone,  signilit'S  trnth??  atliriu- 
ative  and  united  to  good.  A  white  stone  has  tliis  signification; 
because  in  judiciary  proceedings,  it  was  the  custom  to  collect 
votes  or  suiirages  by  stones,  and  by  white  stones  those  wliich 
M'ere  on  the  atiirmative  side  ;  that  they  are  contirniatory  truths 
which  are  signitied,  is,  because  M'hite  is  predicated  of  truths,  n. 
167,  370 ;  lience  it  is,  that  by  white  stone  arc  signified  truths 
supporting  good ;  tlic  reason  wliy  they  are  also  united  to  good, 
is,  because  good  invites  and  unites  them  to  itself;  for  all  good 
loves  truth  and  conjoins  to  itself  such  as  accords  with  it,  espe- 
cially the  good  of  celestial  love ;  this  so  unites  truths  to  itself, 
thatthey  altogether  constitute  a  one  ;  hence  it  is,  that  they  see 
truths  from  good  alone.  These  are  understood  by  those  who 
liave  the  law  written  in  their  hearts,  of  whom  it  is  said  in  Jer- 
emiah, "  I  will  put  my  law  in  their  inward  parts,  and  write  it 
in  their  hearts  ; — and  they  shall  teach  no  more  every  man  his 
neighbour,  and  every  man  his  brother,  saying.  Know  Jehovah, 
for  they  shall  all  know  me,"  xxxi.  34,  Such  are  all  who  are 
in  the  third  heaven  ;  they  do  not  speak  of  truths  from  the  mere 
memory,  but  clearly  see  them  when  they  hear  others  speaking 
of  them,  and  especially  when  they  are  reading  the  Word;  the 
reason  is,  because  they  are  in  the  very  marriage  of  goodness 
and  truth.  Such  do  they  become  in  the  world,  who  have  ap- 
proached the  Lord  alone,  and  have  done  good  works,  because 
they  are  according  to  the  truths  of  the  Word  ;  concerning  whom 
something  may  be  seen  in  the  work  on  Heaven  and  Hell,  n.  25, 
26,  270,  271. 

122.  And  in  the  stone  a  new  name  written,  signifies  that 
thus  they  will  have  good  of  a  quality  such  as  they  had  not 
before.  That  name  signifies  the  quality  of  a  thing,  may  be 
seen  above,  n.  81,  therefore  here  the  quality  of  good:  all  the 
quality  of  good  is  from  tlie  truths  that  are  united  to  it ;  for  good 
•without  truths  is  like  bread  and  meat  without  w^ine  and  water, 
which  do  not  nourish ;  and  also  like  fruit  in  which  there  is  no 
juice  :  it  appears  also  like  a  tree  stripped  of  its  leaves,  on  which 
there  hang  a  few  dr}^  ap[)les,  left  since  autumn.  This  is  also 
understood  by  these  words  of  the  Lord:  "For  every  one  shall 
be  salted  w'itli  fire,  and  every  sacrifice  shall  be  salted  with  salt. 
S-alt  is  good,  but  if  the  salt  have  lost  its  saltness,  wherewith  will 
ye  season  it?  Have  salt  in  yourselves,"  Mark  ix.  49,  50.  Salt 
here  is  the  desire  of  truth. 

123.  Which  no  man  hunveth  saving  he  that  receiveth  it,  sig- 
nifies that  it  does  not  appear  to  any  one,  because  it  is  w^-itten 
in  their  lives.  That  truths  united  to  good  are  not  inscribed  on 
their  memories,  but  on  their  lives,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  121^ 

107 


124- — 128  THE   Al'OCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Chap,  il, 

122,  and  what  is  inscribed  on  the  life  alone,  and  not  on  the 
inemory,  does  not  appear  to  any  one,  not  even  to  themselves, 
except  from  this  circumstance,  that  they  perceive  whether  a 
thing  be  true,  and  what  the  truth  is,  when  tliey  hear  and  read ; 
for  the  interiors  of  their  mind  are  cpen  even  nnto  the  Lord ; 
and  because  the  Lord  is  in  them,  and  he  sees  all  things,  there- 
fore he  causes  them  to  see  as  from  themselves ;  but  yet  out  of 
their  wisdom  they  know  that  they  do  not  see  truths  from  them- 
Eclves,  but  from  the  Lord.  Hence  it  may  appear  what  is  meant 
by  the  whole  sentence,  "  I  will  give  him  to  eat  of  the  hidden 
manna,  and  will  give  him  a  white  stone,  and  in  the  stone  a  new 
name  written,  which  no  man  knoweth  saving  lie  that  receiveth 
it :"  the  sum  of  its  signification  is,  that  they  will  be  angels  of 
the  third  heaven,  if  they  read  the  Word,  imbibe  thence  truths 
of  doctrine,  and  approach  the  Lord. 

124.  And  unto  the  angel  of  tlm  church  in  Tliyatira  loriie^ 
signifies,  to  those  and  concerning  those,  wdio  are  in  faith 
grounded  in  charity,  and  thence  in  good  works  ;  and  also  to 
those  and  concerning  those,  who  are  in  faith  separate  from 
charity,  and  thence  in  evil  works.  That  both  the  former  and 
the  latter  are  described  by  the  church  in  Thyatira,  is  evident 
from  what  is  written  to  it,  when  understood  in  the  spiritual 
sense. 

125.  These  thiiujs  saith  the  Son  of  God^  who  hath  his  eyes 
like  unto  aflame  of  fire  ^  signifies  the  Lord  as  to  the  divine  wis- 
dom of  his  divine  love.  That  this  is  the  signification,  may  be 
seen  explained  above,  n.  48. 

12G.  And  his  feet  like  fine  hrass^  signifies  divine  good  nat- 
ural, as  is  evident  from  the  explanation  given  above,  n.  49. 

127.  I  know  thy  works,  signifies  that  the  Lord  sees  all  their 
interiors  and  exteriors  at  once,  as  may  be  seen  above,  where 
these  words  are  explained,  n.  T6. 

128.  A7id  charity  and  service,  signifies  the  spiritual  afi:*ection 
which  is  called  charity,  and  its  operation.  Charity  is  a  spir- 
itual afi'ection,  because  charity  is  love  towards  our  neighbour, 
and  love  towards  our  neighbour  constitutes  that  affection  :  thai 
ministry  or  service  is  its  operation,  follows  from  their  being 
called  ministers  in  the  "Word  who  serve  the  things  which  are  ot 
charity.  The  man  who  is  a  w^orshipper  of  God  is  sometimes 
called  a  servant,  and  sometimes  a  minister ;  and  he  is  called  a 
servant  of  God  who  is  in  truths,  and  he  is  called  a  minister  of 
God  who  is  in  goods ;  the  reason  is,  because  truth  serves  good, 
and  good  ministers  to  truth :  that  he  is  called  a  servant  who  is 
in  truths,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  3  ;  but  that  he  is  called  a 
mmister  who  is  in  good,  is  evident  from  these  places  :  "  But  ye 
shall  be  named  the  priests  of  Jehovah ;  men  shall  call  you  the 
ininisters  of  our  God,"  Isaiah  Ixi.  6.  "Tlien  may  also  my 
covenant  be  broken  with  David  my  servant, — and  with  the 

108 


V.  17 20.]       THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.         129 — 132 

Levites  the  priests,  my  ministers^''  Jerem.  xxxiii.  21 ;  they  are 
called  miuistere,  because  priests  represented  the  Lord  as  to 
divine  good.  "  Bless  the  Lord  all  ye  his  hosts,  ye  ministers 
of  liis  tliat  do  his  pleasure,"  Psalm  ciii.  21,  22.  "Jehovah 
inaketh  his  angels  spirits  ;  his  ministers  a  flaming  fire,"  Psalm 
civ.  4.  Angel-spirits  are  they  who  are  in  truths,  and  angel- 
ministers  they  who  are  in  goods ;  flaming  iire  also  signifies  tlie 
good  ot"  love.  Jesus  said,  "  Whosoever  will  be  great  among  you, 
let  him  be  your  minister  ^  and  whosoever  will  be  chief  among 
you,  let  him  be  your  sen^ant,''''  Matt.  xx.  26,  27;  xxiii.  11,  12  : 
minister  is  here  predicated  of  good,  and  servant  of  truth.  The 
same  is  signified  by  ministering  and  ministry  in  Isaiah  Ivi.  6; 
John  xii.  26  ;  Luke  xii.  37 ;  and  in  other  ])laces.  Hence  it  is 
evident,  that  by  charity  and  ministry,  is  signified  spiritual  afiec- 
tion  and  its  operation  ;  for  good  is  of  charity,  and  truth  is  of 
faith. 

129.  And  faith,  and  thy  endurance,  and  thy  works,  signifies 
truth,  and  the  desire  of  acquiring  and  teaching  it.  That  faith 
Bignifies  truth,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  Ill  ;  and  that  in  such 
case  endurance  signifies  study  aud  labour  in  acquiring  and 
teaching  it,  follows  of  course. 

130.  And  the  last  to  he  more  titan  the  first,  signifies  the 
increase  thereof  from  the  spiritual  afl'ection  of  truth,  which  is 
of  charity.  By  their  last  works  being  more  than  tlic  first,  are 
understood  all  things  of  their  charity  and  faith,  for  these  aro 
the  interior  things  from  which  works  proceed,  n.  73,  76,  94 : 
these  things  increase,  when  charity  is  regarded  in  the  first 
place,  and  faith  in  the  second  :  for  charity  is  the  spiritual  afl'ec- 
tion of  doing  good,  and  from  it  comes  tlie  spiritual  afl'ection  of 
knowing  truth,  good  loving  truth  as  meat  does  drink,  for  it 
desires  to  be  nourished,  and  is  nourished,  by  truths ;  hence  it 
is,  that  they  wiio  are  in  genuine  charity  have  a  continual 
increase  of  truth.  This  then  is  what  is  signified  by  "  I  know 
thy  last  works  to  be  more  than  the  first." 

131.  NotwithstanSAng,  I  have  a  few  things  against  thee,  sig- 
nifies that  the  following  things  may  possibly  be  a  stumbling- 
])lock  to  them.  For  what  now  follows  relates  to  faith  separated 
from  charity,  which  may  be  a  stumbling-block  to  those  wlio  are 
in  faith  grounded  in  charity. 

132.  Because  thou  siifferest  that  woman  Jezehel,  signifies 
that  among  them  there  are  some  in  the  church  who  separate 
faith  from  charity,  and  account  the  former  alone  to  be  saving. 
Tliat  faith  separated  from  charity  is  meant  by  the  woman  Jez- 
ebel, is  evident  from  what  now  follows,  when  it  is  uidblded  by 
the  spiritual  sense  in  its  series,  and  compared  with  that  faith  ;  for 
these  were  the  evil  doings  of  Jezebel  the  wife  of  Ahab:  jiame- 
ly,  that  she  went  and  served  Baal,  and  built  him  aw  altar  in 
Samaria,  and  made  a  grove,  1  Kings  xvi.  31 — 33.     That  siiQ 

109 


133,  134:  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Clltip.  li. 

Blew  the  propliets  of  Jehovah,  1  Kings  xviii.  4,  23.  Tliat  she 
was  desirous  to  suiy  Elijah,  xix.  1,  2.  That  by  treacherously 
suborning  false  witnesses,  she  took  away  Naboth's  vineyard,  and 
put  him  to  death,  xxi.  6,  7,  and  following  verses.  That  by  reason 
of  these  her  evil  doings,  it  was  foretold  to  her  by  Elijah,  that  the 
dogs  should  eat  her,  xxi.  13.  That  she  was  thrown  down  from 
the  window  where  she  stood  with  her  face  painted,  and  that 
some  of  her  blood  was  sprinkled  upon  the  wall,  and  upon  the 
horses  which  trod  her  under  foot,  2  Kings  ix.  30,  32 — 34.  As 
all  the  historical,  as  well  as  the  prophetical  parts  of  the  AVord, 
signify  the  s^^iritual  things  of  the  church,  so  also  do  tliese  ;  and 
that  they  signify  faith  separated  from  charity,  is  evident  from 
the  spiritual  sense,  and  from  collating  them  together ;  for  by 
going  and  serving  Baal,  and  building  him  an  altar,  and  making 
a  grove,  is  signified  to  serve  lusts  of  all  kinds,  or  what  amounts 
to  the  same,  to  serve  the  devil,  without  thinking  of  any  evil 
lust,  nor  of  any  sin,  as  they  who  have  no  doctrine  of  charity 
and  life,  but  only  of  faith.  j3y  slaying  the  prophets,  is  signified 
to  destroy  the  truths  of  doctrine  derived  from  the  AVord.  By 
desiring  to  slay  Elijah,  is  signified  to  desire  to  do  the  same  to 
the  Word.  By  taking  away  Naboth's  vineyard  and  slaying 
him,  is  signified  the  church,  for  the  vineyard  is  the  church  :  by 
the  dogs  which  did  eat  her,  are  signified  lusts.  By  her  being 
thrown  down  from  the  window,  her  blood  being  sprinkled  upon 
the  wall,  and  her  being  trod  under  foot  by  the  horses,  is  signi- 
fied their  destruction,  for  each  of  those  particulars  has  its  sig- 
nification ;  window  signifies  truth  in  the  light ;  blood  signifies 
what  is  false ;  wall  signifies  truth  in  ultimates,  and  horse  sig- 
nifies understanding  of  the  Word.  Hence  it  may  be  concluded, 
that  these  things,  collated  together,  coincide  with  faith  sepa- 
rate from  charity,  as  may  further  appear  from  what  follows  in 
the  Apocalypse,  Avliere  this  taith  is  treated  of. 

133.  Which  calleth  herself  a  jprophetess^  signifies,  and  who 
make  it  the  essential  doctrine  of  the  church,  and  build  all 
theology  upon  it.  That  by  prophet  in  the  Word  is  signified 
doctrine  of  the  church,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  8,  therefore  the 
same  is  also  signified  by  prophetess.  That  in  the  reformed 
Christian  church,  taith  alone  is  received  as  the  sole  medium  of 
salvation,  and  that  thence  works  of  charity,  as  not  conducive  to 
salvation,  are  separated  from  faith,  is  well  known :  hence  it  is, 
that  the  universal  doctrine  of  the  salvation  of  man,  which  is 
called  theology,  at  this  day  constitutes  that  fiiitli,  consequently 
the  woman  Jezebel. 

134-.  To  teach  and  to  seduce  my  servants  to  commit  whore- 
doia,  signifies,  from  which  it  comes  to  pass  that  the  truths  ot  the 
Word  are  falsified.  By  to  teach  and  to  seduce  the  servants  of 
the  Lord,  is  meant  those  who  are  able  and  willing  to  be  in- 
Btructed  in  truths  from  the  Word  ;  that  they  are  called  servants 
110 


V.   20,J  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  134 

ot  tlic  Lord  wlio  are  in  truths,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  3,  128 ; 
and  by  coiuniittinti^  whoredom,  is  si_i>-nitied  to  adulterate  and 
falsify  tlie  AVord  :  that  this  is  the  sii^uitication  of  coniinittii::^ 
whoredom,  is,  because  in  every  particular  of  the  Word  there  is 
a  marriage  of  goodness  and  trutii,  and  this  marriage  is  broken 
when  good  is  separated  and  taken  away  from  truth.  That  in 
every  particular  of  the  "Word  there  is  a  marriage  of  the  Lord 
and  the  church,  and  thence  a  nuirriage  of  goodness  and  truth, 
maj'  be  seen  in  The  Docti'hie  of  the  Neio  Jerusalem,  concerning 
the  Sacred  Scrljdure,  n.  80 — 1)0 :  for  this  reason  it  is,  that  to 
commit  wlioredom  signiiies  to  adulterate  the  good  and  falsify 
tlie  truths  of  the  AVord;  and  because  this  is  spiritual  whoredom, 
therefore  also  they,  who  from  their  own  reason  have  falsified 
the  AV^ord,  after  death,  when  they  come  into  the  sj^iritual  world, 
become  addicted  to  whoredom :  and,  what  has  hitherto  been 
concealed  from  the  world,  they  who  have  confirmed  tliemsclves 
in  faith  aloiie  to  the  exclusion  of  works  of  charity,  are  in  the 
lust  of  committing  the  adultery  of  a  son  with  his  mother  ;  that 
they  are  in  the  lust  of  committing  so  abominable  a  kind  of 
adultery,  has  often  been  perceived  in  the  spiritual  world  :  re- 
member this,  and  inquire  after  death,  and  the  truth  of  it  will 
be  confirmed  to  you  :  I  could  not  venture  to  reveal  this  before, 
because  it  would  have  offended  the  ear.  This  adultery  is  sig- 
nified by  the  adultery  of  Ileuben  with  Bilhah  his  father's  con- 
cubine. Gen.  XXXV.  22  ;  for  by  Reul)en  that  faith  is  signified, 
for  which  cause  he  was  cursed  by  his  father  Israel,  and  after- 
wards his  birthright  was  taken  from  him ;  for  his  father  Israel, 
prophesying  concerning  his  sons,  said  of  Ileuben,  "  Ileuben, 
tliou  art  my  first-born,  my  might,  and  the  beginning  of  my 
strength, — unstable  as  water,  thou  shalt  not  excel,  because 
thou  wentest  up  to  \\\y  father^ s  hed  j  then  deiiledst  thoio  it:  he 
went  up  to  my  couch,"  Gen.  xlix.  3,  4 :  therefore  his  birth- 
right was  taken  from  him.  "Ileuben  was  the  first-born  of 
Israel ; — but,  forasmuch  as  he  defiled  hisfather^s  hed,  his  birth- 
right was  given  unto  the  sons  of  Joseph,"  1  Chron.  v.  1.  That 
by  Reuben  was  represented  truth  grounded  in  good,  or  faith 
grounded  in  charit}',  and  afterwards  trutli  separated  from  good, 
or  faith  separated  from  charity,  will  be  seen  in  the  explanation 
of  chap.  vii.  5.  That  by  whoredoms  are  signified  adulterations 
of  good  and  falsifications  of  truth  in  the  AVord,  may  appear 
from  the  following  passages  :  "  AVhen  Joram  saw  Jehu,  he  said, 
Is  it  peace,  Jehu?  and  he  answered,  AVhat  peace,  so  long  as  the 
whoredoms  of  thy  mother  Jezebel^  and  her  Avitchcrafts,  are  so 
many?"  2  Kings  ix.  22.  By  the  whoredoms  of  Jezebel  are 
not  meant  any  whoredoms  of  hers,  but  her  actions,  as  stated 
above,  n.  132.  "And  your  children  shall  wander  in  tlie  wil- 
derness forty  years,  and  bear  your  tolioredoms^''  Numb,  xiv 
33.  "  A.nd  the  soul  that  turueth  after  such  as  have  famili:u 
111 


134  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Cliap.  H. 

spirits,  and  after  wizards,  and  all  that  go  a  whoring  after  them, 
Twill  cut  off,"  Levit.  XX.  6.  "Lest  thou  make  a  covenant 
with  the  inhabitants  of  the  land,  and  thej  go  a  whoring  after 
their  gods,"  Exod.  xxxiv.  15,  16.  "  But  thou  didst  trust  [O 
Jerusalem]  in  thine  own  beauty,  and  jplayedst  the  harlot  be- 
cause of  thy  renown,  and  pouredst  out  thy  whoredoms  on  every 
one  that  passed  by.  Thou  hast  also  committed  whoredom  with 
the  Egyptians  thy  neighbours,  great  of  flesh,  and  hast  increased 
thy  la'horedoms.  Thou  hast  jplayed  the  whore  also  with  the 
Assyrians,  because  thou  wast  insatiable  in  committing  whore- 
dorn.  Thou  hast  moreover  multiplied  thy  whoredom  in  the  land 
of  Canaan  unto  Chaldea.  But  as  a  wife  that  committeth 
adultery^  which  taketh  strangers  instead  of  her  husband.  They 
give  gifts  to  all  whores ^  but  thou  givest  thy  gifts  to  all  thy 
wvers, — that  they  may  come  unto  thee  on  every  side  for  thy 
whoredoin.  Wherefore,  O  harlot,  hear  the  word  of  Jehovah," 
Ezek.  xvi.  15,  16,  26,  28,  29,  32,  33,  35.  Jerusalem  in  this 
passage  is  the  Israelitish  and  Jewish  church  ;  by  her  whore- 
doms are  meant  adulterations  and  falsifications  of  the  Word ; 
and  because  in  the  Word  by  Egyj^t  is  signified  the  science  ot 
the  natural  man,  by  Ashur  ratiocination  thence  derived,  by 
Chaldea  j^rofanation  of  truth,  and  by  Babylon  profanation  of 
good,  therefore  it  is  said  that  she  committed  whoredom  with 
them.  ''  There  were  two  women,  the  daughters  of  one  mother ; 
and  they  committed  whoredoms  in  Egypt ;  they  committed 
whoredoms  in  their  youth  :  one  of  them  played  the  harlot  when 
she  was  mine,  and  she  doted  on  her  lovers,  on  the  Assyrians  her 
neighbours.  Thus  she  committed,  her  whoredoms  with  them  : — • 
neither  left  she  her  whoredo7ns  brought  from  Egypt.  The  other 
was  more  corrupt  in  her  inordinate  love  than  she,  and  in  her 
whoredoms,  more  than  her  sister  in  her  whoredoms.  She  in- 
creased her  whoredoms, — and  doted  upon  them,  and  sent  mes- 
sengers unto  them  into  Chaldea.  And  the  Babylonians  came  to 
her  into  the  hed  of  love,  and  they  defiled  her  wath  their  whore- 
dom,'' Ezek.  xxiii.  2,  3,  5,  7,  11,  14,  16,  IT  :  here  the  two 
daughters  of  one  mother  are  likewise  the  Israelitish  and  Jewish 
church,  whose  adulterations  and  falsifications  of  the  Word  are 
described  as  above  by  Avhoredoms.  So  in  the  following  places  : 
"Thou  hast  played  the  harlot  with  many  lovers;  and  hast  pol- 
luted the  land  with  thy  whoredoms  and  with  thy  wickedness. 
Hast  thou  seen  that  which  backsliding  Israel  hath  done  ?  she  is 
gone  up  upon  every  high  mountain,  and  there  hath  jplayed  the 
harlot.  And  her  treacherous  sister  Judah  feared  not,  but  wenl 
and  flayed  the  harlot  also.  And  it  came  to  pass  through  the 
lightness  of  her  whoredom,  that  she  defiled  the  land,  and  com 
mitted  adultery  with  stones  and  Avith  stocks,"  Jerem.  iii.  1,  6. 
8,  9 :  and  in  other  places.  "  Run  ye  to  and  fro  through  the 
streets  of  Jerusalem,  and  see  now  and  know, — if  ye  can  find  a 
112 


V.  20.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  134 

man,  if  there  be  any  that  executeth  judi^uient,  that  seeket\i  the 
truth.  When  I  had  fed  tlieni  to  the  full,  they  tlien  comniittcd 
whoredom^  and  assembled  themselves  by  troops  in  tlie  harlot^s 
houses,"  Jereni.  v.  1,  7.  "I  have  seen  thine  adulteries,  and 
thy  neighings,  and  the  lewdness  of  thy  whoredoms, — ^and  thine 
abominations  on  the  hills  in  the  iields.  Woe  unto  thee,  O  Jeru- 
salem, wilt  thou  not  be  made  clean?"  Jereni.  xiii.  27.  "I 
liave  seen  also  in  the  prophets  of  Jerusalem  a  horrible  thing, 
tiiey  commit  adultery,  and  walk  in  lies,"  Jerem,  xxiii,  1-i.  "  Be- 
cause they  have  committed  villany  in  Israel,  and  have  com- 
mitted adultery  with  their  neighbours'  wives,  and  have  spoken 
lying  words  in  my  name,"  Jerem.  xxix.  23.  "  So  they  sinned 
against  me,  therefore  will  I  change  their  gloiy  into  shame ; 
they  shall  commit  xohoredom,  because  they  luive  left  off  to  take 
heed  to  Jehovah.  Whoredom,  and  wine,  and  new  wine  take 
away  the  heart.  Therefore  your  daughters  shall  commit  v^hore- 
dom^,  and  your  spouses  shall  commit  adultery,''^  Ilosea  iv.  7, 13. 
"  I  know,  Ephraim,  thou  committest  whoredom,  and  Israel  is 
defiled,"  Hosea  v,  3.  "  I  have  seen  a  horrible  thin^  in  the 
house  of  Israel ;  there  is  the  whoredom  of  Ephraim  ;  Israel  is 
defiled,"  Hosea  vi.  10.  Israel  here  is  the  church,  and  Ephraim 
is  the  understanding  of  the  Word,  from  which,  and  according 
to  which,  the  church  exists;  therefore  it  is  said,  Ephraim  hath 
committed  whoredom,  and  Israel  is  polluted.  Because  the 
church  had  falsified  the  Word,  the  prophet  Hosea  was  com- 
manded to  take  unto  himself  a  harlot  to  wife,  saying,  "  Go,  take 
nnto  thee  a  wife  of  whoredoms,  and  children  of  whoredoms  :  for 
the  land  hath  committed  great  whoredom,  departing  from  Jeho- 
vah," Hosea  i.  2 ;  and  again :  "Go  yet,  love  a  woman  beloved 
of  her  friend,  yet  an  adulteress^''  Ilosea  iii.  1.  As  the  Jewish 
church  was  of  such  a  nature,  therefore  the  nation  of  the  Jews 
was  called  by  the  Lord  an  adulterous  generation.  Matt.  xii.  39  ; 
xvi.  4;  Mark  viii.  38 ;  and  in  Isaiah,  a  seed  of  adulterers,  Ivii. 
3 ;  and  in  Nahum  :  ''  Woe  to  the  bloody  city !  it  is  all  full  of 
lies,  and  there  is  a  multitude  of  slain.  Because  of  the  multitude 
of  the  vjhoredoms  of  the  well  favoured  harlot, — that  selleth 
nations  through  her  lohor^edoms,''''  iii,  1,  3,  4.  As  Bahylon 
adulterates  and  ftilsifies  the  AVord  above  all  others  in  the  Chris- 
tian world,  she  is  therefore  called  the  gi'eat  whore,  and  the  fol- 
lowing is  said  of  her  in  the  Apocalypse  :  Babylon  hath  "  made 
all  nations  to  drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  Iiqy  fornication,''^ 
xiv.  8.  "For  all  nations  have  drunk  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath 
of  her  whoredom,,  and  the  kings  of  the  earth  have  committed 
whoredom  with  her,"  xviii.  3.  The  angel  said,  "I  will  show 
imto  thee  the  judgment  of  the  great  whore, —  with  whom  the 
kings  of  the  earth  have  committed  whoredom^''  xvii.  1,  2.  "  lie 
hath  judged  the  great  whore,  which  did  corrupt  the  earth  with 
her  whoredom^''  xix.  2.  From  these  passages  it  manifestly  ap- 
113  H 


135 — 137         THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         [Chap,  ii 

pears,  that  to  commit  adnlteiy  and  whoredom  signify  to  adul- 
terate and  falsify  the  goods  and  truths  of  the  Y/ord. 

135.  And  to  eat  things  sacrificed  %into  idols,  signifies  the 
defilement  of  divine  worship  and  profimations,  as  is  clear  from 
the  explanation  given  above,  n.  114  ;  for  thev  who  adulterate 
things  good,  appropriate  to  themselves  such  as  are  unclean,  bj 
which  they  defile  and  profane  divine  worship. 

136.  And  I  gave  her  time  to  repent  of  her  whoredom,  and  she 
repented  not,  signifies  that  they  who  have  confirmed  themselves 
in  that  doctrine,  will  not  recede,  although  they  see  things  con- 
trary to  it  in  the  "Word.  By  receding  from  whoredom,  is  here 
signified  to  recede  from  falsifying  the  Word  :  that  they  see 
things  contrary  to  their  doctrine,  is  evident  from  a  thousand 
passages  in  the  Word,  where  it  is  said  that  evils  are  to  be 
shunned,  and  that  good  is  to  be  done ;  also  that  they  who  do 
good  go  to  heaven,  and  they  who  do  evil  to  hell,  as  also  that 
taith  M^ithout  works  is  dead  and  diabolical.  But  it  may  be 
asked,  what  part  of  the  Word  have  they  falsified,  or  where  have 
they  spiritually  committed  whoredom  with  the  Word  ?  It  may 
be  answered,  that  they  have  falsified  the  whole  of  the  Word ; 
for  the  whole  Word  is  nothing  else  but  the  doctrine  of  love 
towards  the  Lord,  and  of  love  towards  the  neighbour,  for  .the 
Lord  says,  that  on  the  commandments  concerning  those  two 
loves  hang  all  the  law  and  the  prophets,  Matt.  xxii.  40.  There 
is  also  in  the  Word  the  doctrine  of  faith,  yet  not  of  such  faith 
as  theirs,  but  of  the  faith  of  love. 

137.  Behold  Twill  cast  her  into  a  l)ed,  «.nd  them  that  com.mii 
adultery  with  her  into  great  trihidation,  signifies  that  therefore 
they  v/ill  be  left  in  their  doctrine  with  fiilsifications,  and  that 
they  will  be  grievously  infested  by  falses.  That  by  bed  is  signi- 
fied doctrine,  will  be  seen  presently  ;  that  by  committing  adul- 
tery falsifications  of  truth  are  signified,  may  be  seen  above,  n. 
134,  136  ;  and  that  by  tribulation  is  signified  infestation  from 
falses,  n.  33,  95,  100 ;  and  hence  by  great  tribulation  is  signi- 
fied grievous  infestation.  That  a  bed  signifies  doctrine,  is  from 
correspondence,  for  as  the  body  rests  in  its  bed,  so  does  the 
mind  rest  in  its  doctrine  :  but  by  bed  is  signified  the  doctrine 
which  every  one  acquires  to  himself  either  from  the  Word,  or 
from  his  proper  intelligence,  for  therein  the  mind  reposes  and, 
as  it  were,  sleeps.  The  beds  that  are  lain  in,  in  the  spiritual 
world,  are  of  no  other  origin  ;  for  there  every  one's  bed  is  con- 
formable to  the  quality  of  his  science  and  intelligence,  the  wise 
have  such  as  are  magnificent,  the  foolish  have  mean  ones,  and 
those  of  false-speakers  are  filthy.  This  is  the  signification  of 
bed  in  Luke :  "  I  tell  you,  in  that  night  there  shall  be  two  men 
:n  one  led:  the  one  shall  be  taken  and  the  otlier  left,"  xvii. 
34  ;  speaking  of  the  last  judgment ;  two  in  one  bed,  means  two 
in  one  doctrine,  but  not  in  similar  life.     In  John ;  Jesus  saitb 

114 


V,  20 ---23.]        THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         138 140 

unto  tlio  sick  man,  "  Kise,  take  up  tliy  hed^  and  walk ;  and  he 
took  up  his  hed^  and  walked,"  v.  8,  9  ;  and  in  Mark  :  •'  Jesus 
said  unto  the  sick  of  the  palsv,  Son,  thy  sins  be  fori^iven  thee ;'' 
and  lie  said  unto  the  Scribes,  ""AVhether  is  it  easier  to  say,  Thy 
sins  he  forgiven  thee,  or  to  say,  Arise,  take  up  thy  hed^  and 
walk  ?"  tiien  he  said,  "Arise,  take  up  thy  hed^  and  walk  ;  and  ho 
took  up  the  hed^  and  went  forth  before  them  all,"  ii.  5,  9,  11, 
12  ;  that  here  something  is  signified  by  bed,  is  evident,  because 
Jesus  said.  Whether  is  it  easier  to  say.  Thy  sins  be  forgiven 
thee,  or  to  say.  Take  up  thy  bed  and  Avalk?  by  carrying  his  bed 
and  walking,  is  signified  to  meditate  in  doctrine  :  it  is  so  under- 
stood in  heaven.  Doctrine  is  also  signified  by  bed  in  Amos: 
"As  the  shepherd  taketh  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  lion — so  shall 
the  children  of  Israel  be  taken  out  that  dwell  in  Samaria,  in  the 
corner  of  a  hed^  and  in  Damascus  in  a  couch^''  iii.  12  :  in  the 
corner  of  a  bed,  and  in  a  couch,  means  what  is  more  remote 
from  the  truths  and  goods  of  doctrine.  Bed  and  couch  and 
bedchamber  have  a  similar  signification  in  other  places,  as  in 
Isaiah  xxviii.  20  ;  Ivii.  2,  7,  8  ;  Ezek.  xxiii.  41 ;  Amos  vi.  4 ; 
Micah  ii.  1  ;  Psalm  iv.  4;  Psalm  xxxvi.  4;  Psalm  xli.  3;  Job 
vii.  13  ;  Levit.  xv.  4,  5.  Since  by  Jacob,  in  the  propheticals  of 
the  Word,  is  signified  the  church  as  to  doctrine,  therefore  it  is 
said  of  him,  that  he  "  bowed  himself  upon  the  bed's  head," 
Gen,  xlvii.  31.  That  when  Joseph  came,  he  "sat  upon  the 
5^6?,"  Gen.  xlviii.  2.  That  "  he  gathered  up  his  feet  into  the 
hed^  and  yielded  up  the  ghost,"  Gen.  xlix.  33.  The  doctrine  of 
the  church  being  signified  by  Jacob,  therefore  sometimes,  when 
I  have  thought  of  Jacob,  there  has  appeared  to  me  above,  in 
front,  a  man  lyin^  in  a  bed. 

138-  Except  they  repent  of  their  deeds,  signifies,  if  they  will 
not  desist  from  separating  faith  from  charity,  and  from  falsify- 
ing the  Word,  as  may  appear  without  furtlier  explanation. 

139.  And  I  vnll  kill  Iter  children  with  death,  signifies  that 
all  the  truths  of  the  Word  with  them  will  be  turned  into  falses. 
By  children,  in  the  Word,  are  signiried  trutlis,  and  in  an  oppo- 
site sense,  falses ;  therefore  to  kill  children,  signifies  to  turn 
truths  into  falses,  for  by  that  means  they  perish  ;  neither  is  any 
tiling  else  understood  by  the  slain  and  wounded  of  Jehovah  : 
by  killing  her  children  with  death,  is  also  signified  to  condemn 
their  falses.  That  children  signify  truths,  and  in  an  opposite 
sense  falses,  is,  because  in  the  spiritual  sense  of  the  Word  by 
generations  are  meant  spiritual  generations,  and  in  like  manner 
by  consanguinities  and  affinities;  thus  by  their  names,  as  by 
ftither,  mother,  sons,  daughters,  brethren,  sisters,  sons-in-law, 
daughters-in-law,  and  others ;  neither  does  spiritual  generation 
give  birth  to  any  other  sons  and  daughters,  than  truths  and 
goods.     See  n.  512,  546,  below. 

140.  And  all  the  churches  shall  kyiow  that  I  am  He  which 
115 


141 143         THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.         [Chap,  il 

searcheth  the  reins  and  heai'ts,  signifies  that  tlie  church  shall 
know  that  the  Lord  sees  the  quality  of  every  one's  truth  and 
the  quality  of  every  one's  good.  By  the  seven  churches  is  sig- 
nified the  church  universal,  as  before ;  and  by  searching  the 
reins  and  hearts,  is  signified  to  see  all  the  things  which  a  man 
believes  and  loves,  thus  the  quality  of  his  truth  and  of  his  good 
that  this  is  the  signification  of  searching  the  reins  and  hearts^ 
is  from  correspondence,  for  the  "Word  in  its  literal  sense  consist? 
of  mere  correspondences ;  the  correspondence  here  is  grounded 
in  this  circumstance,  that  as  the  reins  [or  kidneys]  cleanse  the 
blood  from  such  impurities  as  are  called  urinous,  and  as  the 
heart  purifies  the  blood  from  such  unclean  things  as  are  loath- 
some, so  the  truth  of  faith  purifies  man  from  falses,  and  the 
good  of  love  from  evils.  From  this  cause  the  ancients  placed 
love  and  its  afi'ections  in  the  heart,  and  intelligence  and  its  per 
ceptions  in  the  reins ;  as  may  appear  from  the  following  pas 
sages  in  the  Word  :  "  Behold,  thou  desirest  truth  in  the  7'eins^ 
and  in  the  hidden  part  thou  shalt  make  me  to  know  wisdom," 
Psalm  li.  6.  "Thou  hast  possessed  my  reiyis — my  substance 
was  not  hid  from  thee  when  I  was  made  in  secret,"  Psalm 
cxxxix.  13,  15.  "  My  heart  was  grieved,  and  I  was  pricked  in 
ray  Q^eins  /  so  foolish  was  I  and  ignorant,"  Psalm  Ixxiii,  21,  22. 
"  I  Jehovah  search  the  heart,  I  try  the  reins,  even  to  give  every 
jnan  according  to  his  ways,"  Jerem.  xvii.  10.  "Thou  art  near, 
in  their  mouth,  and  far  from  their  reins  ^  thou,  O  Jehovah, — 
hast  seen  me,  and  tried  my  heart^''  Jerem.  xii.  2,  3.  Jehovah 
is  a  judge  of  righteousness,  trying  the  reins  and  the  heart, 
Jerem.  xi.  20 ;  xx.  12.  "  Establish  the  just,  for  the  righteous 
God  trietli  the  hearts  and  reins,^''  Psalm  vii.  9.  "  Examine  me, 
O  Jehovah,  and  prove  me,  try  my  7'eins  and  my  heart^''  Psalm 
xxvi.  2 ;  by  reins  in  these  places  are  signified  truths  of  intelli- 
gence and  faith,  and  by  heart,  the  good  of  love  and  charity. 
That  heart  signifies  the  love  and  its  afiections,  may  be  seeu 
in  The  Angelic  Wisdo7n  concerning  the  Divine  Providence,  n, 
371,  393. 

141.  And  Twill  give  unto  every  one  according  to  your  worTc^s, 
signifies  that  he  gives  unto  every  one  according  to  the  charity 
and  its  faith  which  are  in  his  works.  That  works  are  the  con- 
tinents of  charity  and  fiiith,  and  that  charity  and  faith  without 
works  are  only  like  airy  phantoms,  which  vanish  as  soon  as  they 
have  appeared,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  76. 

142.  But  unto  you  I  say,  and  unto  the  rest  in  Thyatira,  as 
•inany  as  have  not  this  doctrine,  signifies,  both  to  those  with 
whom  the  doctrine  of  faith  is  separated  from  charity,  and  to 
those  with  whom  the  doctrine  of  faith  is  joined  with  charity,  as 
is  evident  from  what  is  said  above,  without  further  explanation. 

143.  And  who  have  not  hnown  the  dej^ths  of  Satan,  as  they 
6^eak.,  signifies   they   who   do  not  understand  their  interiors, 

116 


V.  23 27.]        THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED         l-ii — 148 

M-liicli  are  mere  fiilses.  Tliat  by  Satan  is  understood  the  hell  of 
those  who  are  in  t'alses,  and,  abstractedly,  falses,  may  be  seen 
above,  n.  97 ;  therefore  by  its  depths  are  signified  the  interiors 
of  doctrine  separated  from  cliarity,  which  are  mere  falses.  The 
depths  and  interiors  of  that  doctrine  are  what  are  delivered  in 
their  books  and  lectures  in  universities,  and  thence  in  their 
sermons,  the  nature  of  which  is  pointed  out  in  what  is  prefixed 
to  tlie  first  chapter,  where  their  doctrines  are  set  forth ;  and 
particularly  in  what  is  adduced  concerning  Justification  by 
Faith  and  concerning  Good  AVorks  ;  where  it  may  be  seen 
asserted  that  the  clergy  alone  are  acquainted  with  the  mysteries 
of  that  doctrine,  but  not  the  laity,  therefore  the  latter  princi- 
pally are  meant  by  those  who  have  not  known  the  depths  of 
Satan. 

144.  I  will  md  vpon  you  none  other  Jjurthen.,  signifies,  only 
that  they  should  beware  of  them.  Tlie  reason  is,  because  they 
confirm  their  falses  by  reasonings  from  the  natural  man,  and 
by  some  things  from  the  Word,  which  they  falsify,  for  by  these 
means  they  can  seduce ;  they  are  like  serpents  in  the  grass  who 
bite  those  that  pass  by ;  or  like  concealed  poison  which  kills 
the  unwary. 

145.  JSfevertheless^  that  which  ye  have^  hold  fast  till  Icome^ 
signifies  that  they  should  retain  the  few  things  Avhich  tliey 
know  concerning  charity  and  thence  concerning  faith  from  the 
Word,  and  live  according  to  them,  until  there  be  a  new  heaven 
and  a  new  church,  which  are  the  Lord's  coming ;  for  these  and 
no  others  receive  the  things  which  the  doctrine  of  the  New 
Jerusalem  teaches  concerning  the  Lord  and  charity. 

146.  And  he  that  overcometh  and  Tieepeth  my  loorhs  unto  tJi6 
tnd^  signifies  those  who  fight  against  evils  and  falses  and  are 
reformed,  and  are  in  charity,  and  thence  actually  in  faith,  and 
continue  in  them  to  the  end  of  their  lives.  That  to  overcome 
is  to  fight  against  evils  and  falses,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  88 ; 
and  that  works  are  charity  and  thence  faith  in  act,  n.  76,  141  ; 
that  to  keep  them  unto  the  end,  is  to  be  in  them,  and  remain 
in  them  to  the  end  of  life,  is  evident. 

147.  To  him  will  I  give  power  over  the  nations^  signifies 
that  they  shall  overcome  evils  in  themselves  which  arc  from 
hell.  That  by  nations  in  the  Word  are  meant  those  who  are  in 
good,  and,  in  an  opposite  sense,  those  who  are  in  evil,  thus,  ab- 
stractedly, goods  and  evils,  may  be  seen  below^  n.  483 ;  there- 
fore here  by  giving  power  over  the  nations,  is  signified  to  give 
them  to  overcome  the  evils  from  hell  in  themselves. 

148.  And  he  shall  ride  them  with  a  rod  of  iron^  signifies  by 
truths  from  the  literal  sense  of  the  Word,  and  at  the  same  time 
by  rational  principles  derived  from  natural  light.  It  is  said  by 
a  rod  or  staff  of  iron,  because  staff"  in  the  Word  signifies  power, 
and  iron  signifies  natural  truth,  consequently  the  natural  sense 

317 


149 151         THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.         [Chap.  11. 

of  the  "Word,  and  at  the  same  time  the  natural  liglit  of  man ; 
ill  these  two  consists  the  power  of  triitli.  That  divine  truth  in 
the  natural  sense  of  the  Word,  which  is  its  literal  sense,  is  in 
its  power,  may  be  seen  in  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem 
concerning  the  Sacred  Scrijyture,  n.  205 — 221 ;  from  this  cause 
the  literal  sense  is  the  basis,  continent,  and  iirmament  of  its 
spiritual  sense,  n.  27 — 36.  And  that  all  power  is  in  the  ulti- 
mates  which  are  called  things  natural,  may  be  seen  in  The 
Angelic  Wisdom  concerning  the  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine 
Wisdom^  n.  205 — 221 ;  consequently  in  the  natural  sense  of  the 
letter  of  the  Word,  and  in  the  natural  light  of  man ;  these 
therefore  are  the  rod  of  iron  by  which  he  is  to  rule  the  nations, 
that  is,  to  overcome  the  evils  which  are  from  hell.  The  same 
is  signified  by  an  iron  rod  in  the  following  places:  "Thou  shab 
break  them  with  a  rod  of  iron,  thou  slialt  dash  them  in  pieces 
like  a  potter's  vessel,"  rsalm  ii.  9.  "  And  she  brought  forth 
a  man-child  who  was  to  rule  all  nations  with  a  rod  of  iron^"* 
Apoc.  xii.  5.  Out  of  the  mouth  of  him  that  sat  upon  the  white 
horse  went  "  a  sharp  sword,  that  with  it  he  should  smite  the 
nations ;  and  he  shall  rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron^''  Apoc. 
xix.  15.  Jehovah  "  shall  smite  the  earth  with  the  rod  of  his 
mouth,"  Isaiah  xi.  4. 

149.  As  the  vessels  of  a  potter  shall  they  he  hrohen  to  shivers, 
signifies,  as  of  little  or  no  account.  It  is  said  the  vessels  of  a 
potter,  because  by  them  are  signified  the  things  which  are  of 
self-derived  intelligence,  wdiich  are  all  falses,  and  in  themselves 
of  no  account ;  so  in  David  :  "  Thou  shalt  break  them  with  a 
rod  of  iro7i,  thou  shalt  dash  them  in  pieces  like  a  potter'' s  vessel^'' 
Psalm  ii.  9. 

150.  Even  as  I  received  of  my  Father,  signifies  that  they 
shall  receive  this  power  from  the  Lord,  who,  when  he  was  in 
the  world,  procured  to  himself  all  power  over  the  hells,  from  the 
divine  principle  which  was  within  him.  That  the  Lord,  when 
ke  was  in  the  world,  by  admitting  temptations  in  himself,  and 
finally  by  the  last  of  them,  which  w^as  the  passion  of  the  cross, 
subdued  the  hells  and  glorified  his  Humanity,  may  be  seen  in 
The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Lord,  n.  29 
— 36  ;  as  also  above,  n.  67  ;  from  which  it  may  appear,  that  to 
receive  from  his  Father,  is  to  receive  from  the  divine  or  divinity 
which  was  in  him,  for  he  said  that  the  Father  is  in  him  and  he 
in  the  Father ;  that  the  Father  and  he  are  one ;  as  also  the 
Father  who  is  in  me ;  and  many  other  things  to  the  same 
purpose. 

151.  And  I  will  give  him  the  morning  star,  signifies  intelli- 
gence and  wisdom.  That  by  stars  are  signified  knowledges  of 
good  and  truth,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  51  ;  and  because  by 
them  comes  intelligence  and  wisdom,  therefore  these  are  sig- 
nified by  the  morning  star.     It  is  called   the  morning  star, 

118 


V,  27 29.]       THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.  152,  153 

because  intelligence  and  wisdom  Avill  be  given  them  from  the 
Lord,  when  he  comes  to  establish  the  New  Church,  which  is  the 
"New  Jerusalem,  for  he  says,  "  That  which  ye  have,  hold  fast 
till  I  come,"  verse  25,  by  M-hich  is  signitied,  that  they  must 
retain  the  few  truths  which  they  know  concerning  charity  and 
its  faith  from  the  Word,  and  live  according  to  them,  until  the 
new  heaven  and  new  church  are  formed,  which  constitute  the 
coming  of  the  Lord,  n.  145.  The  morning  star  is  mentioned, 
because  by  morning  is  signitied  the  coming  of  the  Lord,  when 
there  is  a  new  church.  That  this  is  meant  by  morning,  in  the 
AVc»rd,  appears  from  the  following  places  :  "  Until  the  evening 
and  morning  two  thousand  three  hundred,  then  shall  the  sanc- 
tuary be  justitied,"  Dan.  viii.  14.  "lie  calleth  to  me  out  of 
Seir,  Watchman,  what  of  the  night  ?  Watchman,  what  of  the 
night  ?  The  watchman  said.  The  morning  cometh,  and  also  the 
night,"  Isaiah  xxi.  11,  12 ;  by  the  evening  and  the  night  is  sig 
nitied  the  last  time  of  the  old  church,  and  by  tlie  morning  the 
commencement  of  the  New  Church.  "  The  end  is  come, — the 
morning  is  come  upon  thee,  O  thou  that  dwellest  in  the  land ;  be 
hold  the  day  it  is  come,  the  inorning  is  gone  foilh,"  Ezek.  vii.  6, 
7,  10.  "  Every  morning  doth  he  bring  his  judgment  to  light, 
he  taileth  not,"  Zeph.  iii.  5.  "God  is  in  the  midst  of  her — God 
shall  help  her  when  the  morning  appeareth,"  Psalm  xlvi.  5. 
"I  wait  for  Jehovah — my  soul  doth  wait  for  the  Lord  more 
than  they  that  watch  for  the  m^orning,  I  say  more  than  they 
that  watch  for  the  morning  :  for  with  him  is  plenteous  redemp- 
tion, and  he  shall  redeem  Israel,"  Psalm  cxxx.  5 — 8  ;  and  in 
other  places.  By  morning  in  tliese  passages  is  meant  the  Lord's 
coming,  when  he  came  into  the  world  and  established  a  new 
church  ;  in  like  manner  now.  And  because  the  Lord  alone 
gives  those  who  are  to  be  of  his  new  church  intelligence  and 
M-isdom,  and  all  things  which  the  Lord  gives  are  himself 
because  they  are  of  himself,  therefore  the  Lord  says  that  he 
himself  is  the  morning  star :  "  I  am  the  root  and  offspring  of 
David,  tJie  hrigld  and  morning  star,^^  Apoc.  xxii.  16 :  he  is 
called  also  the  morning  in  2  Samuel :  "  The  God  of  Israel  said, 
the  Rock  of  Israel  spake  to  me — he  is  as  the  light  of  the  morn- 
ing— a  mornhig  without  clouds,"  xxiii.  3,  4. 

152.  Jle  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith 
unto  tJte  churcJies,  signifies  that  he  who  understands  these 
things,  ought  to  obey  what  the  Divine  Truth  of  the  Word 
teaches  those  who  are  to  l.^e  of  the  New  Church,  which  is  the 
New  Jerusalem,  as  above,  n.  87. 

153.  To  the  above  I  will  add  a  Memorable  Relation,  con- 
cerning the  lot  of  those  after  death,  who  have  contirmed  them- 
selves in  faith  alone  unto  justification,  both  in  doctrine  and  life. 
I.  When  they  are  dead  and  revive  as  to  their  spirit,  which  com 
monly  happens  on  the  third  day  after  the  heart  has  ceased  to 

119 


153  THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.         [Chap,  ii 

beat,  tliey  appear  to  themselves  in  a  body  like  that  which  they 
had  before  in  the  world,  so  that  they  know  no  otherwise  than 
that  they  are  living  in  the  former  world ;  yet  they  are  not  in 
a  material  body,  but  in  a  spiritual  body,  this  appearing  to  their 
senses,  which  are  also  spiritual,  as  if  it  was  material,  although  it 
is  not  so.  II.  After  some  days  they  see  that  they  are  in  a 
world  where  there  are  various  societies  instituted,  which  world 
is  called  the  world  of  spirits,  and  is  intermedia,te  between  hea- 
ven and  hell :  all  the  societies  there,  which  are  innumerable, 
are  wonderfully  arranged  according  to  natural  affections,  good 
and  evil ;  the  societies  arranged  according  to  good  natural  affec- 
tions communicate  with  heaven,  and  the  societies  arranged  ac- 
cording to  evil  affections  communicate  with  hell.  III.  The 
novitiate  spirit,  or  the  spiritual  man,  is  conducted  and  intro- 
duced to  various  societies,  both  good  and  evil,  and  examination 
is  made  to  discover  whether  he  is  affected  Jay  truths,  and  in  what 
manner:  and  whether,  and  in  what  manner,  he  is  affected  by 
falses.  IV.  If  he  is  affected  by  truths,  he  is  withdrawn  from 
evil  societies,  and  introduced  into  good  societies,  and  also  into 
various  ones,  until  he  comes  into  a  society  corresponding 
-vith   his   own  natural   affection,   where    he   enjoys  the    good 

•  vhich  accords  with  that  affection  ;  and  this  until  he  has  put 

•  ff  his  natural  affection  and  has  put  on  a  spiritual  affection, 
and  then  he  is  elevated  into  heaven :  but  this  takes  place 
with  those  who  in  the  world  have  lived  a  life  of  charity,  and 
thus  also  a  life  of  faith,  which  consists  in  believing  in  the  Lord, 
and  shunning  evils  as  sins.  Y.  But  they  who  have  coniirmed 
themselves  in  doctrine  and  life  in  faith  alone  unto  justitication, 
by  reason  of  their  not  being  affected  by  truths,  but  by  falses, 
and  because  they  have  rejected  the  goods  of  charity,  which  are 
good  works,  from  the  means  of  salvation,  are  withdrawn  from 
good  societies,  and  introduced  into  evil  societies,  and  also  into 
various  ones,  until  they  come  into  the  society  which  corresponds 
to  the  concupiscences  of  their  love  ;  for  he  who  loves  falses 
cannot  but  love  evils.  YI.  But  as  in  the  world  they  had 
feigned  good  affections  in  externals,  although  in  their  internals 
there  wa^  nothing  but  evil  affections  or  concupiscences,  they 
are  at  first  kept  by  turns  in  externals ;  and  they  who  in  the 
world  presided  over  companies  of  men,  are  here  and  there  set 
over  societies  in  the  world  of  spirits,  in  general  or  in  part  ac- 
cording to  the  extent  and  importance  of  the  offices  they  had 
formerly  exercised  :  but  as  they  neither  love  truth  nor  justice, 
nor  are  capable  C)f  being  illuminated  so  as  to  know  what  truth 
and  justice  are  in  themselves,  therefore  after  some  days  they 
are  dismissed.  I  have  seen  such  removed  from  one  society  to 
another,  and  some  administration  given  them  in  each,  but  only 
to  be  as  quickly  and  repeatedly  dismissed.  YII.  After  frequent 
dismissals,  some  out  of  weariness  will  not,  and  others  from  the 

120 


V.  29.]  TUE    Al'OCALYrSE    KEVEALFD.  153 

fear  of  losing  reputation  do  not,  venture  to  seek  for  offices  any 
further,  but  withdruw,  and  become  disheartened:  they  are  next 
led  away  into  a  desert,  where  there  are  cottages,  into  which 
they  enter,  and  work  of  some  kind  is  given  them  to  do,  and  as 
they  do  it,  they  receive  food,  and  if  they  do  not  do  it,  they  are 
hungry  and  receive  none,  so  that  at  length  necessity  compels 
them.  Food  there  is  similar  to  the  food  in  this  world,  but  it  is 
fi'om  a  spiritual  origin,  and  is  given  from  heaven  from  the  Lord 
to  all  according  to  the  uses  they  perform  ;  to  the  idle,  nothing 
is  given,  because  they  are  useless,  VIII.  After  a  time  they 
loathe  work,  and  then  they  go  out  of  the  cottages ;  and  if  they 
have  been  priests,  they  have  an  inclination  to  build ;  and  there 
appear  then  immediately  heaps  of  hewn  stones,  bricks,  rafters, 
and  boards,  also  heaps  of  reeds  and  bulrushes,  clay,  lime,  and 
bitumen,  which  when  they  see,  the  lust  of  building  is  kindled, 
and  they  begin  to  construct  a  house,  taking  now  a  stone,  and 
then  wood,  now  a  reed,  and  then  clay,  and  placing  them  irregu- 
larly one  upon  another,  but  in  order  as  it  seems  to  themselves; 
but  what  they  build  by  day  falls  down  by  night ;  and  the  next 
day  they  gather  materials  from  among  the  rubbish,  and  build 
again,  and  this  they  continue  to  do,  until  they  are  tired  of 
building.  From  this  cause  it  is,  they  collect  together  falses  to 
confirm  salvation  by  faith  alone,  and  such  falses  cannot  serve  to 
build  up  a  church  in  any  other  manner.  IX.  Afterwards  from 
weary  feeling  they  go  away,  and  sit  solitary  and  idle  ;  and  as 
the  idle  have  no  food  given  them  from  heaven,  as  was  before 
observed,  they  begin  to  hunger,  and  think  of  notliing  else  but 
how  they  shall  get  food  and  satisfy  their  hunger.  When  they 
are  in  this  state,  there  come  to  them  some  of  whom  they  ask 
alms  ;  and  they  say.  Why  do  ye  thus  sit  idle  ?  come  with  us  to 
our  houses,  and  we  will  give  you  work  to  do,  and  food  ;  and 
then  they  rise  up  with  joy,  and  go  with  them  to  their  houses, 
and  there  each  has  his  work  given  him,  and  food  for  his  work : 
but  as  all  who  have  conlirmed  themselves  in  falses  of  faith  are 
unable  to  do  works  of  good  use,  but  only  works  of  evil  use, 
neither  do  they  do  these  faithfidly,  but  only  so  as  to  save  ap- 
pearances for  the  sake  of  honour  or  interest,  therefore  they  leave 
their  M'ork,  and  only  love  to  converse,  talk,  walk  about,  and 
sleep  ;  and  then,  because  they  cannot  any  longer  be  induced  by 
their  masters  to  work,  they  are  cast  out  as  useless.  X.  AVhen 
they  are  cast  out,  their  eyes  are  opened,  and  they  see  a  way 
leading  to  a  certain  cavern ;  to  which  when  they  are  come,  a 
door  is  opened,  and  they  enter,  and  inquire  whether  there  is 
any  food  there,  and  when  they  receive  for  answer  that  there  is, 
they  ask  leave  to  renuiin,  and  are  told  that  they  may,  and  are 
introduced  and  the  door  shut  after  them  ;  and  then  comes  the 
overseer  of  that  cavern,  and  says  to  them,  Ye  cannot  go  out 
hence  any  more  ;  behold  your  companions,  they  all  labour,  and 
121 


153  THE  APOCALYPSE  EEVEALED.         [Chap,  ii- 

as  they  labour  food  is  given  them  from  heaven  ;  I  tell  yon  this 
for  your  information.  And  their  companions  also  say,  Our 
overseer  knows  what  work  every  one  is  fit  for,  and  assigns  it  to 
every  one  daily  ;  on  the  day  you  finish  it,  food  is  given  you,  but 
if  you  do  not,  neither  food  nor  clothing  is  granted  ;  and  if  any 
one  does  evil  to  another,  he  is  cast  into  a  corner  of  the  cavern, 
upon  a  certain  bed  of  accursed  dust,  where  he  is  miserably  tor- 
mented, until  such  time  as  the  overseer  sees  signs  of  repentanco 
in  him,  and  then  he  is  released,  and  commanded  to  do  his  work. 
He  is  told  also,  that  every  one  after  his  task  is  done  is  permitted 
to  walk  about,  to  converse,  and  afterwards  to  sleep  ;  and  he  is 
carried  into  an  interior  part  of  the  cavern,  where  there  are  har- 
lots, from  among  whom  each  is  permitted  to  take  one  to  himself 
as  a  female  companion,  and  promiscuous  fornication  is  forbid 
under  pain  of  chastisement.  Of  such  caverns,  which  are  no- 
thing but  eternal  workhouses,  the  universal  hell  consists.  It 
has  been  permitted  me  to  enter  into  and  have  a  view  of  some 
of  them,  to  the  end  that  I  might  make  it  known,  and  they  all 
seemed  vile,  neither  did  any  one  of  the  inhabitants  know  who, 
or  in  what  office  he  had  been  in  the  world  ;  but  the  angel  who 
was  with  me,  told  me,  that  such  a  one  had  been  a  servant  in 
the  world,  another  a  soldier,  a  third  a  governor,  a  fourth  a 
priest,  this  one  in  dignity,  and  that  in  opulence,  and  yet  that 
none  of  them  knew  otherwise  than  that  they  had  always  been 
servants  and  companions,  for  this  reason,  because  they  were  all 
interiorly  alike,  although  they  had  been  unlike  exteriorly,  and 
interiors  associate  all  in  the  spiritual  world.  Such  is  the  lot  of 
those  who  have  removed  the  life  of  charity,  and  who  thence 
have  not  lived  that  life  in  the  world. 

With  respect  to  the  hells  in  general,  they  consist  merely  of 
such  caverns  and  workhouses,  but  those  inhabited  by  satans  are 
of  a  different  kind  from  those  inhabited  by  devils ;  satans  are 
they  who  have  been  in  falses  and  thence  in  evils,  and  devils  are 
they  who  have  been  in  evils  and  thence  in  falses.  Satans  ap- 
pear in  the  light  of  heaven  like  dead  corpses,  and  some  of  them 
jjlack  like  mummies  ;  and  devils  appear  in  the  light  of  heaven 
of  a  dark  and  fiery  colour,  and  some  of  them  black  like  soot ; 
but  they  are  all  as  to  their  faces  and  bodies,  monstrous ;  yet 
in  their  own  light,  which  is  like  the  light  of  a  coal-fire,  they 
ppear  not  as  monsterS;  but  men ;  this  is  granted  them  foi 
the  sake  of  consociation. 


122 


Chap.  iii.J  the  apocalypse  kevealed. 


CHAPTER  III. 

1.  And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Sardis  write  ;  Tlieso 
things  saith  He  that  hath  the  seven  spirits  of  God,  and  tlie 
seven  stars  :  I  know  thy  works,  that  thou  hast  a  name  tliat 
thou  livest  and  art  dead. 

2.  Be  watcliful,  and  strengthen  the  things  which  remain, 
that  are  ready  to  die :  for  I  have  not  found  thy  works  full  be- 
fore God. 

3.  Remember  therefore  how  thou  hast  received  and  heard  ; 
and  liold  fast,  and  repent.  If  therefore  thou  shalt  not  watch, 
I  will  come  on  thee  as  a  thief,  and  thou  shalt  not  know  what 
hour  I  will  come  upon  thee. 

4.  Tliou  hast  a  few  names  even  in  Sardis,  which  have  not 
defiled  their  garments ;  and  they  shall  walk  with  me  in  white ; 
for  they  are  worthy. 

5.  He  that  overcometh,  the  same  shall  be  clothed  in  white 
raiment ;  and  I  will  not  blot  out  liis  name  out  of  the  book  of 
life ;  and  I  will  confess  his  name  before  my  Father,  and  before 
his  angels. 

6.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saitli 
unto  the  churches. 

7.  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Philadelphia  Avrite ; 
Tliese  things  saith  He  that  is  holy.  He  that  is  true.  He  that 
hath  the  key  of  David,  He  that  openeth  and  no  one  shuttcth, 
and  shutteth  and  no  one  openeth. 

8.  I  know  thy  works :  behold,  I  have  set  before  thee  an 
open  door,  and  no  one  is  able  to  shut  it:  for  thou  hast  a  little 
power,  and  hast  kept  my  word,  and  hast  not  denied  my  name. 

9.  Behold,  I  will  make  them  of  the  synagogue  of  Satan, 
who  say  they  are  Jews,  and  are  not,  but  do  lie ;  behold,  I  will 
make  them  to  come  and  worship  before  thy  feet,  and  to  know 
that  I  have  loved  thee. 

10.  Because  thou  hast  kept  the  word  of  my  patience,  I  also 
will  keep  tliee  from  the  hour  of  temptation,  wliicli  shall  come 
upon  all  the  world,  to  try  them  that  dwell  upon  the  earth. 

11.  Behold,  I  come  quickly ;  hold  fast  that  thou  hast,  that 
no  one  take  thy  crown. 

12.  Him  that  overcometh  will  I  make  a  pillar  in  the  temple 
of  my  God,  and  he  shall  go  no  more  out ;  and  I  will  write  upon 
him  the  name  of  my  God ;  and  the  name  of  the  city  of  my 
God,  the  new  Jerusalem,  which  cometh  down  out  of  heaven 
from  my  God  ;  and  my  new  name. 

13.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith 
unto  the  churches. 

14.  And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  of  the  Lacdiceana 
123 


THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.        [Chap.  ill. 

write ;  These  things  saith  the  Amen,  the  faithful  and  true  Wit- 
ness, the  beginning  of  the  creation  of  God. 

15.  1  know  thy  works,  that  thou  art  neither  cold  nor  hot : 
I  would  thou  wert  cold  or  hot. 

16.  So,  then,  because  thou  art  lukewarm,  and  neither  cold 
nor  hot,  I  will  vomit  thee  out  of  my  mouth. 

17.  Because  thou  sayest,  I  am  rich,  and  increased  with 
goods,  and  have  need  of  nothing ;  and  knowest  not  that  thou 
art  w^-etched,  and  miserable,  and  poor,  and  blind,  and  naked. 

18.  I  counsel  thee  to  buy  of  me  gold  tried  in  the  fire,  that 
thou  mayest  be  rich ;  and  white  raiment  that  thou  mayest  be 
clothed,  and  that  the  shame  of  thy  nakedness  do  not  appear ; 
and  anoint  thine  eyes  Math  eye-salve  that  thou  mayest  see. 

19.  As  many  as  I  love,  I  rebuke  and  chasten ;  be  zealous, 
therefore,  and  repent. 

20.  Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock  :  If  any  man 
hear  my  voice,  and  open  the  door,  I  will  come  in  to  him,  and 
will  sup  with  him,  and  he  with  me. 

21.  To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  give  to  sit  with  me  in 
my  throne,  even  as  I  also  overcame,  and  am  set  down  with  my 
Father  in  his  throne. 

22.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith 
unto  the  churches. 


THE  SPIRITUAL  SENSE. 


The  Contents  of  the  whole  Chapter.  This  chapter  treats 
of  those  in  the  Christian  church  who  are  in  dead  worship,  which 
is  without  charity  and  faith ;  who  are  described  by  the  church 
in  Sardis,  n.  154- — 171 :  of  those  who  are  in  truths  from  good 
from  the  Lord ;  who  are  described  by  the  church  in  Philadel- 
phia, n.  172 — 197  :  of  those  who  believe  alternately,  sometimes 
from  themselves,  and  sometimes  from  the  "Word,  and  thus  pro- 
fane holy  things  ;  who  are  described  by  the  church  in  Laodicea, 
n.  198 — 223.  All  these  being  likewise  called  to  the  New 
Church  of  the  Lord. 

The  Contents  of  each  Yekse,  v.  1,  "And  unto  the  angel 
of  the  church  in  Sardis  write,"  signifies  to  those  and  concerning 
those,  who  are  in  dead  worship,  or  in  woi-ohip  which  is  without 
the  good  of  charity,  and  without  the  truths  of  faith :  "  These 
things  saith  He  tliat  hath  the  seven  spirits  of  God,  and  the 
seven  stars,"  signifies  the  Lord,  from  whom  are  all  truths,  and 
all  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth :  "  I  know  thy  works," 
124 


Cliap.  iii.]  THE    APOCALYPSE   REVEALED. 

signifies  that  the  Lord  sees  all  their  interiors  and  exteriors  at 
once:  "That  thou  hast  a  name  that  thou  livest,  aiul  ai-t  dead," 
signifies  that  it  may  be  seen  and  believed  by  themselves  and 
by  others,  that  they  are  spiritually  alive,  when  yet  they  are 
spiritually  dead :  v,  2,  "  Be  watchful,"  signifies  to  be  in  truths 
and  in  a  life  according  to  them:  "And  strengthen  the  things 
which  remain,  that  are  ready  to  die,"  signifies  that  the  things 
wliich  pertain  to  their  worship  may  receive  life:  "For  I  have 
not  found  thy  works  full  before  God,"  signifies  that  the  inte- 
riors of  their  worship  are  not  in  conjunction  with  the  Lord  : 
V.  3,  "liomember  therefore  how  thou  hast  received  and  heard," 
signifies  that  they  should  consider  that  all  worship  at  first  is 
natural,  and  afterwards  by  truths  becomes  spiritual,  besides 
many  other  things:  "And  hold  fast,  and  repent,"  signifies  that 
they  should  attend  to  these  things,  and  give  life  to  their  dead 
worship  :  "  If  therefore  thou  shalt  not  M'atch,"  signifies  here 
the  Siime  as  above :  "  I  will  come  on  thee  as  a  thiof,  and  thou 
shalt  not  know  what  hour  I  will  come  upon  thee,"  signifies 
that  the  things  which  are  of  worship  shall  be  taken  from  them, 
and  that  they  shall  not  know  when  and  how  this  is  done :  v.  4, 
"Thou  hast  a  few  names  even  in  Sardis,"  signifies  that  among 
them  the]-e  are  also  some  who  have  life  in  their  worship : 
"  Which  have  not  defiled  their  garments,"  signifies  who  are  in 
truths,  and  have  not  defiled  worship  by  evils  of  life  and  falses 
thence  derived:  "And  they  shall  walk  with  me  in  white,  for 
they  are  worthy,"  signifies  that  they  shall  live  with  the  Lord, 
because  they  are  in  truths  from  him  :  v.  5,  "  He  that  over- 
cometh,  the  same  shall  be  clothed  in  white  raiment,"  signifies 
that  he  who  is  reformed  becomes  spiritual:  "And  I  will  not 
blot  out  his  name  out  of  the  book  of  life,"  signifies  that  he  shall 
be  saved  :  "And  I  M-ill  confess  his  name  before  my  Father,  and 
before  his  angels,"  signifies  that  they  will  be  received  who  are 
in  divine  good  and  in  divine  truths  from  the  Lord :  v.  6,  "  He 
that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  Avhat  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the 
churches,"  signifies  here,  as  before. 

V.  7,  "And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Philadelphia 
write,"  signifies  to  those  and  concerning  those,  who  are  in 
truths  originating  in  good  from  the  Lord:  "These  things  saith 
He  that  is  holy.  He  that  is  true,"  signifies  the  Lord  as  to  divine 
truth :  "  He  that  hath  the  key  of  David,  He  tliat  openeth  and 
no  one  shutteth,  and  shutteth  and  no  one  openeth,"  signifies 
who  alone  is  omnipotent  to  save :  v.  8,  "  I  know  tiiy  works," 
signifies  here,  as  above:  "Behold,  I  have  set  before  thee  an 
open  door,"  signifies  that  heaven  is  open  to  those  who  are  in 
truths  from  good  from  the  Lord :  "  And  no  one  is  able  to  shut 
it,"  signifies  that  hell  cannot  prevail  against  them  :  "  For  thou 
hast  a  little  power,"  signifies  because  they  know  that  they  can 
do  nothing  from  themselves:  "And  hast  kept  mv  word,"  sig- 
125 


THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Cliap.  iii. 

nifies  because  they  lire  according  to  the  Lord's  commandments 
in  his  Word :  "And  hast  not  denied  my  name,"  signifies  that 
they  are  in  the  worship  of  the  Lord :  v.  9,  "  Behold,  I  will 
make  them  of  the  synagogue  of  Satan,"  signifies  those  who  are 
in  falses  as  to  doctrine :  ^  Who  say  they  are  Jews,  and  are  not, 
but  do  lie,"  signifies  who  say  that  the  church  is  among  them, 
and  yet  it  is  not:  "Behold,  I  will  make  them  to  come  and 
Avorsliip  before  thy  feet,"  signifies  that  many  who  are  in  falses 
as  to  doctrine,  will  receive  the  truths  of  the  New  Church : 
"And  to  know  that  I  have  loved  thee,"  signifies  that  they  shall 
see  that  they  are  loved  and  received  into  heaven  by  the  Lord : 
v.  10,  "  Because  thou  hast  kept  the  Word  of  my  patience," 
signifies  because  they  have  fought  against  evils :  "  I  also  will 
keep  thee  from  the  hour  of  temptation,  which  shall  come  upon 
all  the  world,  to  try  them  that  dwell  upon  the  earth,"  signifies 
that  they  will  be  protected  and  preserved  in  the  day  of  the  last 
judgment:  v,  11,  "Behold  I  come  quickly,"  signifies  the  Lord's 
coming :  "  Hold  fast  that  thou  hast,"  signifies  that  in  the  mean 
time  they  should  remain  in  their  truths  and  goods  :  "  That  no 
one  take  thy  crown,"  signifies  lest  wisdom  should  perish,  from 
which  is  eternal  felicity :  v,  12,  "  Him  that  overcometh,"  sig- 
nifies they  who  persist  in  truths  from  good  :  "  Will  I  make  a 
pillar  in  the  temple  of  my  God,"  signifies  that  truths  from  good 
from  the  Lord,  with  those  in  whom  they  abide,  sustain  the 
church :  "  And  he  shall  go  no  more  out,"  signifies  that  they 
shall  remain  there  to  eternity  :  "  And  I  will  write  upon  him  tlie 
name  of  my  God,"  signifies  that  divine  truth  shall  be  written 
in  their  hearts:  "And  the  name  of  the  city  of  my  God,  the 
New  Jerusalem,"  signifies  that  the  doctrine  of  the  New  Church 
shall  be  written  in  their  hearts  :  "  Which  cometh  down  out  of 
heaven  from  my  God,"  signifies  which  will  be  from  the  divine 
truth  of  the  Lord  such  as  it  is  in  heaven  :  "And  my  new  name," 
signifies  the  worship  of  the  Lord  alone,  with  other  ncAV  things 
which  were  not  in  the  former  church :  v.  13,  "  He  that  hath  an 
ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches,"  sig- 
nifies here,  as  before. 

V.  14,  "And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  of  the  Laodiceans 
write,"  signifies  to  those  and  concerning  those,  in  the  church, 
who  alternately  believe,  sometimes  from  themselves,  and  some- 
times from  the  Word,  and  thus  profane  things  holy :  "  These 
things  saith  the  Amen,  the  faithful  and  true  AVitness,"  signifies 
.the  Lord  as  to  the  Word,  which  is  divine  truth  from  him : 
"  The  beginning  of  the  creation  of  God,"  signifies  the  Word : 
V.  15,  "I  know  thy  works,"  signifies  here,  as  before:  "That 
thou  art  neither  cold  nor  hot,"  signifies  that  they  who  are 
such,  sometimes  deny  that  the  Word  is  divine  and  holy,  and  at 
other  times  acknowledge  it :  "I  would  thou  wert  cold  or  hot," 
signifies  that  it  is  better  for  them  either  from  the  heart  to  deny 
126 


Chap,  iii.]  the  apocalvpse  revealed. 

the  holy  things  of  the  Word  and  of  the  church,  or  froni  the 
heart  to  acknowledge  them :  v.  16,  "  So  then,  because  thou  art 
lukewarm,  and  neither  cold  nor  hot,  I  will  vomit  thee  out  of 
my  mouth,"  signifies  profanation  and  separation  from  the  Lord : 
V,  17,  "  Because  thou  sayest,  I  am  rich,  and  increased  with 
goods,"  signifies  that  they  think  they  })Ossess  in  all  abundance 
the  knowledges  of  what  is  good  and  true,  whicli  are  of  heaven 
and  the  church:  "And  have  need  of  nothing,"  signifies  that 
they  have  no  need  of  more  wisdom:  "And  knowest  not  that 
thou  art  wretched,"  signifies  that  all  things  which  they  know 
do  not  at  all  cohere :  "  And  miserable  and  poor,"  signifies  that 
they  are  witliout  truths  and  goods:  "And  blind  and  naked," 
signifies  that  they  are  without  the  understanding  of  truth,  and 
without  the  will  of  good :  v,  18,  "  I  counsel  thee  to  buy  of  mo 
gold  tried  in  the  fire,  that  thou  mayest  be  rich,"  signifies  an 
admonition  to  acquire  to  themselves  the  good  of  love  from  the 
Lord  by  means  of  the  AVord,  that  they  may  become  wise  : 
"And  white  raiment,  that  thou  mayest  be  clothed,"  signifies 
that  they  should  acquire  to  themselves  genuine  truths  of  wis- 
dom :  "And  that  the  shame  of  thy  nakedness  may  not  appear," 
signifies  lest  the  good  of  celestial  love  should  be  profaned  and 
adulterated:  "And  anoint  thine  eyes  with  eye-salve,  that  thou 
mayest  see,"  signifies  that  their  understandings  may  be  healed  : 
V.  19,  "As  many  as  I  love,  I  rebuke  and  chasten,"  signifies 
that  because  they  are  now  beloved,  they  cannot  but  be  ad- 
mitted to  temptations  :  "  Be  zealous,  therefore,  and  rej^ent," 
signifies  that  this  should  be  done  from  the  affection  of  truth : 
V.  20,  "  Behold  I  stand  at  the  door,  and  knock,"  signifies  that 
tlie  Lord  is  present  to  every  one  in  the  Word,  and  is  there 
pressing  to  be  received,  and  teaches  how :  "  If  any  man  hear 
my  voice,  and  open  the  door,"  signifies  he  who  believes  in  the 
Word  and  lives  according  to  it :  "I  will  come  in  to  him,  and 
will  sup  with  him,  and  he  with  me,"  signifies  that  the  Lord 
joins  himself  with  them  and  they  with  him:  v.  21,  "To  him 
that  overcometh,"  signifies  such  as  are  in  conjunction  with  the 
Lord  by  a  life  conformable  to  his  precepts  in  tlie  Word  :  "  Will 
I  give  to  sit  with  me  in  my  tlirone,"  signifies  that  tliey  will 
have  conjunction  with  the  Lord  in  heaven:  "Even  as  I  also 
overcame,  and  am  set  down  wath  my  Father  in  his  throne," 
signifies  as  he  and  the  Father  are  one  and  are  heaven :  v.  22, 
"lie  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto 
the  churches,"  signifies  here,  as  before. 


127 


154 157         THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.        [Cliap.  iii. 


THE  EXPLANATION. 

154:.  And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Sardis  wt^itc,  sig- 
nifies to  those  and  concerning  those,  who  are  in  dead  worship, 
or  in  worship  which  is  without  the  good  of  charity  and  without 
tlie  truths  of  faith.  That  tliey  who  are  in  such  worship  are 
meant  by  the  church  in  Sardis,  is  evident  from  what  is  written 
to  it  wdien  understood  in  the  spiritual  sense.  By  dead  worship 
is  meant  worship  alone,  which  consists  in  going  to  church,  hear- 
ing sermons,  receiving  the  sacrament,  reading  the  Word  and 
pious  books,  talking  about  God,  and  about  heaven  and  hell, 
and  a  life  after  death,  and  especially  about  piety,  praying  morn- 
ing and  evening,  and  yet  not  desiring  to  know  the  truths  of 
faith,  nor  willing  to  do  the  good  things  of  charity,  believing 
that  they  shall  have  salvation  by  means  of  mere  worship  ;  when 
yet  such  worship  without  truths,  and  without  a  life  conformable 
to  them,  is  only  the  external  sign  of  charity  and  faith,  within 
which  there  may  lie  concealed  all  sorts  of  evils  and  falses,  if 
charity  and  faith  do  not  reside  within ;  for  of  these  genuine 
Avorship  consists ;  otherwise  worship  is  like  the  skin  or  surface 
of  any  kind  of  fruit,  in  which  there  lies  concealed  nothing  but  a 
rotten  and  worm-eaten  substance,  and  therefore  is  dead.  That 
such  worship  prevails  in  the  church  at  this  day,  is  well  known, 

155.  These  things  saith  He  that  hath  the  seven  spirits  of  God^ 
and  the  seven  stars,  signifies  the  Lord,  from  whom  are  all  truths, 
and  all  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth.  That  by  the  seven 
spirits  of  God  is  understood  the  divine  truth  proceeding  from 
the  Lord,  or  divine  verity,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  14  ;  and  that 
by  the  seven  stars  are  understood  all  the  knowledges  of  what  is 
good  and  true  from  the  Word,  n,  51,  froni  which  exists  the 
church  in  heaven,  n,  65,  These  things  are  now  said  by  the 
Lord,  because  the  subject  treated  of  is  concerning  dead  worship 
and  concerning  living  worship,  and  worship  derives  its  life  from 
truths,  and  from  a  life  according  to  them. 

156.  Iknoxo  thy  works,  signifies  that  the  Lord  sees  all  their 
interiors  and  exteriors  at  once,  as  above,  n.  76. 

157.  That  thou  hast  a  name  that  thou  Uvest,  and  art  dead, 
signifies  that  it  may  be  seen  and  believed  by  themselves  and 
others,  that  they  are  spiritually  alive,  M'hen  yet  they  are  spirit- 
ually dead.  By  having  a  name,  is  signified  to  seem  and  to  be 
thought  to  be  such ;  in  this  instance,  that  they  are  living,  when 
yet  they  are  dead  ;  for  spiritual  life,  which  is  projjerly  life,  does 
not  consist  in  worship  alone,  but  is  inwardly  in  worship,  and 
Inwardly  there  ought  to  be  divine  trutlis  from  tlie  Word,  and 
when  man  lives  according  to  them,  life  is  in  the  worship  ;  the 
reason  is,  because  the  external  derives  its  quality  from  internals. 
and  the  internals  of  worship  are  truths  of  life.     These  are  they 

128 


V.  1,  2. J  THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.  158 

^vho  arc  meant  by  tlicsc  words  of  tlie  Lord  :  "  And  ye  be^jin  to 
stand  without,  and  to  knock  at  the  door,  saying,  Lord,  Lord, 
open  nnto  us ;  and  he  shall  answer  and  say  r.nto  you,  I  know 
you  not  wlience  you  are.  Then  shall  ye  begin  to  say,  We  have 
eaten  and  drunk  in  thy  presence,  and  thou  hast  taught  in  our 
streets  ;  but  he  shall  say,  I  tell  you,  I  know  you  not  whence  ye 
are  ;  depart  from  me,  all  ye  workers  of  iniquity,"  Luke  xiii.  25, 
26,  27.  I  have  also  been  permitted  to  hear  many  in  the  spirit- 
ual world  say,  that  they  have  frequently  received  the  sacrament, 
and  thus  have  eaten  and  drunk  M'hat  is  hol^',  and  have  as  often 
been  absolved  from  their  sins ;  that  every  sabbath  day  t'icy  nave 
hearkened  to  their  teachers  ;  and  have  devoutly  prayed  at  home 
morning  and  evening,  besides  other  things  :  but  when  the  inte- 
riors of  their  worship  were  laid  open,  they  appeared  full  of  iniqui- 
ties, and  infernal ;  therefore  they  were  rejected  ;  and  when  they 
asked  the  reason  of  it,  they  had  for  answer,  that  they  were  not  at 
all  solicitous  about  divine  truths.  And  yet  a  life  not  according  to 
divine  truths,  is  not  life  such  as  they  enjoy  who  are  in  heaven, 
and  they  who  are  not  in  the  life  of  heaven,  cannot  bear  the  light 
of  heaven,  which  is  divine  truth  proceeding  from  the  Lord  as  the 
sun  there,  much  less  can  they  bear  the  heat  of  heaven,  which  is 
divine  love.  But  although  they  heard  and  also  understood  these 
things,  yet  when  they  were  let  into  themselves,  and  their  own 
M'orship,  they  said,  AVlmt  need  is  there  of  truths,  and  what  arc 
truths  ?  and  as  they  were  no  longer  able  to  receive  truths,  they 
were  left  to  their  concupiscences,  which  lay  hid  within  their 
worship,  and  these  at  length  drove  away  from  them  all  their 
worship  of  God ;  for  the  interiors  accommodate  the  exteriors 
to  themselves,  and  reject  the  things  which  are  not  in  accord- 
ance with  them ;  and  the  exteriors  of  all  after  death  are  ren- 
dered analogous  with  their  interiors. 

158.  JSe  watchful,  signifies  that  they  should  be  in  truths  and 
in  a  life  according  to  them.  By  watching,  in  the  Word,  nothing 
else  is  signified ;  for  he  who  learns  truths  and  lives  according  to 
them,  is  like  one  who  is  awakened  out  of  sleep  and  becomes 
watchful ;  and  he  who  is  not  in  truths,  but  only  in  worship,  is 
like  one  who  sleeps  and  dreams.  Natural  life,  considered  in 
itself,  or  without  spiritual  life,  is  nothing  else  but  sleep;  but 
natural  life,  in  which  there  is  spiritual  life,  is  watchfulness,  and 
this  cannot  be  acquired  otherwise  than  by  truths,  which  exist 
in  their  own  light  and  in  their  OAvn  day,  when  man  lives  accord- 
ing to  them.  Such  is  the  signification  of  watching  in  the  follow- 
ing places :  "  Watch, — for  ye  know  not  what  hour  your  Lord  doth 
come,"  Matt.  xxiv.  42.  "  Blessed  are  those  servants  whom  the 
Lord  when  he  cometh  shall  find  vjatching : — Be  ye  therefore 
ready,  for  the  Son  of  Man  cometh  at  an  hour  when  ye  think 
not,"  Luke  xii.  37,  40.  "  Watch  ye,  for  ye  know  not  when  the 
master  of  the  house  cometh, — lest  coming  suddenly  he  find  you 
129 


159 161         THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.        [Chap.  lii. 

Sleeping.  'What  I  say  imto  yon,  I  say  imto  all,  Watchr  Mark  xiii, 
35,  36,  37.  "  While  the  bridegroom  tarried,  the  virgins  slum,' 
hered  and  slept!^''  and  the  five  foolish  came  and  said,  "  Lord,  Lord, 
open  to  IIS ;  but  he  answered  and  said,  I  know  you  not ;  watch 
therefore,  for  ye  know  neither  the  day  nor  the  hour  wherein 
the  Son  of  Man  cometh,"  Matt,  xxv.  5,  11 — 13.  Because  the 
Lord's  coming  is  called  morning,  n.  151,  and  then  truths  are 
opened,  and  there  is  light,  therefore  that  time  is  called  the  he- 
ginning  of  the  watches,  in  Lament,  ii.  19,  and  the  Lord  is  called 
a  Watcher,  Dan.  iv.  13,  and  it  is  written  in  Isaiah,  "Thy  dead 
shall  live, — Aioalce, — ye  tiiat  dwell  in  the  dust,"  xxvi.  19.  But 
that  the  state  of  a  man  who  is  not  in  truths  is  called  slumbering 
and  sleeping,  may  be  seen  in  Jerem.  li.  39,  57  ;  Psalm  xiii.  3  ; 
Psalm  Ixxvi.  5  ;  Luke  viii.  23  ;  and  in  other  places. 

159.  And  strengthen  the  things  lohich  remoAn,  that  are  ready 
to  die,  signifies,  that  the  things  which  pertain  to  their  worship 
may  receive  life,  and  not  be  extinguished.  How  these  things  are 
to  be  understood,  shall  be  ex^ilained.  Dead  worship  is  altogetlier 
similar  to  living  worship  in  its  external  form,  because  they  who 
are  in  truths  do  the  same  things,  for  they  hear  sermons,  receive 
the  holy  supper,  bow  their  knees  in  prayer  morning  and  even- 
ing, besides  other  things  which  are  common  and  customary  in 
worship  ;  therefore  they  who  are  in  dead  worship,  have  need  of 
nothing  more  than  to  learn  truths  and  bring  them  into  life ;  so 
that  the  things  which  remain,  and  are  ready  to  die,  may  be  con- 
firmed. 

160.  For  I  have  not  found  thy  worTis  full  hefore  God,  sig- 
nifies that  the  interiors  of  their  worship  are  not  in  conjunction 
with  the  Lord.  That  by  works  are  understood  the  interiors  and 
exteriors,  and  that  by  "  I  know  thy  works,"  is  signified  that  the 
Lord  sees  all  the  interiors  and  exteriors  of  man  at  once,  may 
appear  above,  n.  76 ;  which  are  called  full  before  God,  when 
they  are  in  conjunction  with  the  Lord.  It  must  be  observed, 
that  dead  worship,  or  worship  which  is  only  external,  causes  the 
Lord's  presence,  but  not  conjunction  wntli  him  ;  but  external 
worship,  in  which  the  interiors  are  alive,  causes  both  presence 
and  conjunction  ;  for  the  conjunction  of  the  Lord  is  with  the 
things  in  man  which  are  from  the  Lord,  which  are  truths  from 
good,  and  unless  these  are  in  worship,  works  are  not  full  l->efore 
Ood,  but  are  empty.  A  man  is  said  to  be  empty  in  the  Word, 
in  wliom  there  are  nothing  but  falses  and  evils,  as  in  Matt.  xii. 
44,  and  in  other  places ;  but  a  man  is  said  to  be  full,  in  whom 
there  are  truths  and  goods. 

161.  Rememher  therefore  how  thou  hast  received  and  heard,^'' 
Bignifies  that  they  should  consider  that  all  worship  at  first  is 
natural,  and  afterwards  by  truths  out  of  the  Word,  and  by  a  life 
according  to  them,  becomes  spiritual,  besides  many  other  things. 
Thase  are  the  things  that  are  to  be  understood  by  these  words  ; 

ISO 


Vr.  O 3]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  109 

{IS  also,  that  every  one  may  know  from  the  Word,  from  the  doc- 
trine of  the  church  drawn  fi'om  the  AVord,  and  from  sermons, 
that  truths  ought  to  be  learned,  and  that  by  truths  men  have 
faith,  charity,  and  all  things  of  the  church.  That  this  is  the  case, 
is  abundantly  shown  in  Th6  Arcana  Coelestia:  as  for  instance, 
that  by  truths  comes  faith,  n.  4353,  4997,  7178,  10,367.  That 
by  truths  comes  love  towards  our  neighbour  or  charity,  n.  4368, 
7623,  7624,  8034.  That  by  truths  comes  love  to  the  Lord, 
n.  10,143,  10,153,  10,310,  10,578,  10,648.  That  by  truths  come 
intelligence  and  wisdom,  n.  3182,  3190,  3387,  10,064.  That  by 
truths^ regeneration  is  efl'ected,  n.  1553, 1904,  2046,  2189,  9088, 
9954,  10,028.  That  by  truths  comes  power  against  evils  and 
falses,  and  against  hell,  n,  3091,  4015,  10,485.  That  by  truths 
there  is  purification  from  evils  and  falses,  n.  2799,  5954,  7044, 
7918, 10,229, 10,237.  That  by  truths  the  church  exists,  n.  1798, 
1799,  3963,  4468,  4672.  That  by  truths  heaven  exists,  n.  1690, 
9832,  9931,  10,303.  That  by  truths  comes  the  innocence  of 
wisdom,  n.  3183,  3495,  6013.  That  by  truths  there  is  conscience, 
n.  1077,  2053,  9113.  That  by  truths  there  is  order,  n.  3316, 
3417,  3570,  4704,  5339,  5343,  6028,  10,303.  That  by  truths  is 
the  beauty  of  angels,  and  also  of  men  as  to  the  interiors  which 
are  their  spirits,  n.  353,  3080,  4983,  5199.  That  by  virtue  of 
truths  man  is  man,  n.  3175,  3387,  8370,  10,298.  But  all  this  by 
truths  derived  from  good,  and  not  by  truths  without  good,  and 
by  good  from  the  Lo'rd,  n.  2434,  40fO,  4736,  5147.  That  every 
good  is  from  the  Lord,  n.  1614,  2016,  2904,  4151,  9981,  5147. 
But  who  thinks  this?  Is  it  not  at  this  day  a  matter  of  indiffer- 
ence what  truths  a  man  knows,  provided  he  is  in  worship  ?  And 
because  few  search  the  Word  for  the  purpose  of  learning  truths 
and  living  according  to  them,  therefore  nothing  is  known  con- 
cerning worship,  whether  it  be  dead  or  living,  and  yet  accord- 
ing to  the  quality  of  worship  man  himself  is  either  dead  or 
living  ;  otherwise  of  what  use  would  the  Word  be,  and  doctrine 
derived  from  it,  or  what  would  be  the  use  of  sabbaths  and  ser- 
mons, as  well  as  of  books  of  instruction,  yea  to  what  purpose 
would  the  church  and  religion  be?  That  all  worship  in  its  be- 
ginning is  natural,  and  afterwards  by  truths  from  the  Word, 
and  a  life  according  to  them,  becomes  spiritual,  is  well  known  ; 
for  man  is  born  natural,  but  is  educated  in  order  that  he  may 
become  civil  and  moral,  and  afterwards  spiritual,  being  in  this 
manner  born  again.  These  things  therefore  are  signitied  by 
"  Remember  how  thou  hast  received  and  heard." 

162.  And  hold  fast  and  repent^  signifies  that  they  should 
attend  to  these  things  and  give  life  to  their  dead  worship.  That 
to  observe  is  to  attend  to  those  things,  which  are  understood  by 
"Remember  how  thou  hast  received  and  heard,"  is  evident; 
and  that  to  rejient  is  to  give  life  to  dead  worship,  by  truths  from 
the  Word,  and  by  a  life  according  to  them,  follows  of  course. 
131 


163,  164  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         [Chap.  ui. 

163.  If  therefore  thou  shalt  not  watch^  signifies,  if  tliej  are 
not  in  truths  and  in  a  life  according  to  them,  as  is  evident  from 
the  explanation  above,  n.  158. 

164.  I  will  come  on  thee  as  a  thief  and  thou  shalt  not  hiioio 
what  hour  I  will  come  upon  thee,  signifies  that  the  things  which 
are  of  worship  shall  be  taken  from  them,  and  that  thej  shall  not 
know  when  and  how  this  is  done.  It  is  said  that  the  Lord  will 
come  like  a  thief,  because  man,  who  is  in  dead  worship,  is  de- 
prived of  the  external  good  of  worship  :  for  there  is  something 
of  good  in  dead  worship,  because  the  worshipper  thinks  of  God 
and  of  eternal  life  ;  still  good  without  its  trutlis  is  not  good,  but 
meritorious  or  hypocritical,  evils  and  falses  taking  it  away  like  a 
thief;  this  is  done  successively  in  the  world,  and  after  death  fully, 
nan  in  the  meantime  not  knowing  when  and  how.  It  is  attrib- 
uted to  the  Lord  that  he  will  come  like  a  thief,  but,  in  the 
spiritual  sense,  it  is  understood  that  hell  will  take  away  and  steal 
it.  This  is  similar  to  its  being  said  in  the  Word,  that  God  does 
evil  to  man,  vastates  him,  revenges,  is  wrathful,  and  leads  into 
temptation ;  when  yet  it  is  hell  that  does  these  things  ;  the  ap- 
pearance before  man  causing  it  to  be  so  expressed.  That  the 
talent  and  pound  given  to  man  to  trade  with,  is  taken  a^vay,  if 
nothing  is  gained  by  it,  may  be  seen  in  Matt.  xxv.  26 — 30 ;  Luke 
xix.  24 — 26  :  to  trade  and  to  gain  signifies  to  acquire  to  one's 
self  things  true  and  good.  Since  good  and  truth  are  taken  away 
from  those  who  are  in  dead  worship,  as  if  it  were  done  by  a  thief 
in  the  dark,  therefore  in  the  Word  the  same  is  sometimes  likened 
to  a  thief,  as  in  the  following  passages  :  "  Behold,  I  come  as  a 
thief.  Blessed  is  he  that  watcheth  and  keepeth  his  garments, 
lest  he  walk  naked,"  Apoc.  xvi.  15.  "  Watch  therefore,  for  ye 
know  not  what  hour  your  Lord  doth  come.  But  know  tliis,  that 
if  the  good  man  of  the  house  had  known  in  what  watch  the  thief 
would  come,  he  would  have  watched,  and  would  not  have  suf- 
fered his  house  to  be  broken  up,"  Matt.  xxiv.  42,  43.  ^  If 
thieves  came  to  thee,  if  rohhers  hy  night,  how  art  thou  cut  off, 
would  they  not  have  stolen  till  they  had  enough  ?"  Obad.  verse 
5.  "  They  shall  run  to  and  fro  in  the  city,  they  shall  run  upon 
the  wall,  they  shall  climb  up  upon  the  houses,  they  shall  enter 
in  at  the  windows  like  a  thief ^''  Joel  ii.  9.  "  They  committed 
falsehood,  and  the  thief  cometh  in,  and  the  troop  of  roUbers 
spoileth  without,"  Hosea  vii.  1.  "  Lay  not  up  for  yourselves 
treasures  upon  earth, — but  in  heaven, — where  thieves  do  not 
break  through  nor  steal,"  Matt,  vi.  19,  20.  The  reason  why 
man  must  watch,  and  be  ignorant  of  the  hour  in  which  his  Lord 
may  come,  is,  that  he  may  think  and  act  as  from  himself,  thus 
in  freedom  according  to  his  reason,  and  that  fear  may  not  in- 
trude, for  every  one,  if  he  knew,  would  be  in  fear ;  and  what 
man  does  from  himself  in  a  state  of  liberty  remains  to  eternity, 
but  what  he  does  from  fear,  does  not. 

132 


V.  3j  4.]  THE   APOCALYPSE   KEV^EALED.  165,  166 

165.  Thou  hast  a  few  names  even  in  Sa)'dis,  signifies  that 
araong  tlieni  there  are  also  some  who  have  life  in  their  worship. 
By  a  tew  names  are  signified  some  who  are  such,  as  now  follows : 
for  name  signifies  the  quality  of  any  one  ;  the  reason  is,  because 
every  one  in  the  spiritual  world  is  named  according  to  his  qual- 
ity, n.  81.  The  quality  of  those  who  are  now  treated  of,  is,  that 
they  have  life  in  their  worship. 

166,  Which  have  not  defiled  their  garments,  signifies,  who 
are  in  truths,  and  have  not  defiled  worship  by  evils  of  life,  and 
falses  thence  derived.  By  garments  in  the  Word  are  signified 
truths  which  invest  good,  and,  in  an  opposite  sense,  falses  which 
invest  evil ;  for  man  is  either  his  own  good  or  his  own  evil,  the 
truths  or  falses  thence  proceeding  are  his  garments.  All  angels 
and  spirits  appear  clothed  according  to  the  truths  of  their  good, 
or  according  to  the  falses  of  their  evil;  on  which  subject  see  the 
work  concerning  ZT^^awn-  and  Hell,  n.  177 — 182  ;  from  winch  it 
IS  evident,  that  by  not  defiling  their  garments,  is  signified  to  bo 
in  truths,  and  not  to  render  worship  impure  by  evils  of  life  and 
falses  thence  derived.  That  in  the  Word  garments  signify  truths, 
and,  in  an  opposite  sense,  falses,  appears  from  the  folloM'ing 
places  :  "  Awake,  awake :  put  on  thy  strength,  O  Zion,  put  on 
thy  heautiful  garments,  O  Jerusalem," Isaiah  lii.  1.  "I  clothed 
thee  also  with  broidered  work,  I  shod  thee  with  badgers'  skin, 
I  girded  thee  about  with  fine  linen,  I  decked  thee  also  with 
ornaments.  Thus  wast  thou  decked  with  gold  and  silver,  and 
thy  raiment  was  of  fine  linen,  and  silk,  and  broidered  work, — • 
and  thou  wast  exceeding  beautiful.  And  of  thy  garments  thou 
didst  take,  and  deckedst  thy  high  places  with  divei's  colours, 
and  playedst  the  harlot  thereupon  ;  and  madest  to  thyself  images 
of  men,  and  didst  commit  whoredom  with  them  ;  and  tookest 
thy  broidered  garments  and  coveredst  them,"  Ezek.  xvi.  10 — 18. 
The  Jewish  church  is  here  described,  in  that  truths  were  given  to 
it  by  the  AVord,  but  that  they  falsified  them  :  to  commit  whore- 
dom is  to  falsify,  n.  134,  "  The  king's  daughter  is  all  glorious 
within  ;  her  clothing  is  of  wrought  gold  ;  she  shall  be  brought 
nnto  the  king  in  raiment  of  needle- work,"  Psalm  xlv.  13,  14, 
The  king's  daughter  is  the  church  as  to  the  affection  of  truth, 
"Ye  daughters  of  Israel,  weep  over  Saul,  who  clothed  you  in 
scarlet  with  other  delights,  who  ])ut  on  ornaments  of  gold  ujjon 
your  apparel^''  2  Sam,  i,  24.  These  things  are  said  of  Saul, 
because  by  him,  as  king,  is  signified  divine  truth,  n,  20.  "  I  will 
punish  the  princes,  and  the  king's  children,  and  all  such  as  are 
clothed  with  strange  apparel^''  Zeph,  i.  8.  The  enemy  "  shall 
strip  thee  of  thy  clothes,  and  take  away  thy  fair  jewels,"  Ezek. 
xxiii.  26.  "  Joshua  was  clothed  with  filthy  garments,  and  stood 
before  the  angel,"  who  said,  "  Take  the  filthy  garme^its  from  off 
him, — and  they  clothed  him  with  other  garments^''  Zecli.  iii. 
3 — 5.     "  And  when  the  king  came  in  to  see  the  guests,  he  saw 

133 


166  THE   APOCALYPSE   EEVEALED.  [Chap.  iil. 

tliere  a  man  wliicli  had  not  on  a  wedding  garment^  and  he  saitli 
unto  him,  Friend,  how  earnest  thou  in  hither  not  having  a 
wedding  garment  V  Matt.  xxii.  11 — 13.  A  wedding  garment  is 
divine  truth  from  the  Word.  "  Beware  of  false  prophets,  whicli 
come  to  you  in  sheep's  clotliing^'*  Matt.  vii.  15.  "  No  man 
putteth  a  piece  of  a  new  garment  upon  an  old ;  otherwise  the  new 
.  maketh  a  rent  in  the  old,  and  the  piece  of  the — new  agreeth  not 
with  the  old,"  Luke  v.  36.  As  garment  signifies  truth,  there- 
fore the  Lord  compares  the  truths  of  the  former  church,  which 
were  external  and  representative  of  things  spiritual,  to  a  piece  of 
an  old  garment,  and  the  truths  of  the  new  church,  which  were 
internal  and  spiritual,  to  a  piece  of  a  new  garment.  "  Upon  the 
seats  I  saw  four  and  twenty  elders  sitting,  clothed  in  white 
raiment^''  Apoc,  iv.  4.  They  who  stood  before  the  throne  and 
before  the  Lamb,  were  "  clotlied  in  white  robes^ — these  are  they 
which — have  washed  their  rohes^  and  made  tliem  white  in  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb,"  Apoc.  vii.  9,  13,  14.  "  White  robes  were 
given  unto  every  one  of  them"  wdiich  were  under  the  altar, 
Apoc.  vi.  11.  "  The  armies  in  heaven  followed  upon  white 
horses,  clothed  in  fine  linen  white  and  clean,"  Apoc.  xix.  14. 
Because  angels  signify  divine  truths,  therefore  the  angels  which 
Avere  seen  in  the  Lord's  sepulchre,  appeared  in  white  and  shining 
raiment^  Matt,  xxviii.  3  ;  Luke  xxiv.  4.  Since  the  Lord  is  divine 
good  and  divine  truth,  and  truths  are  understood  by  garments, 
therefore  when  he  was  transfigured,  "  His  face  did  shine  as  the 
sun,  and  his  raiment  was  white  as  the  light,"  Matt.  xvii.  2  ;  and 
'"  white  and  glistering,"  Luke  ix.  29  ;  and  "  shining,  exceeding 
white  as  snow,  so  as  no  fuller  on  earth  can  white  them,"  Mark 
ix.  3.  Concerning  the  Ancient  of  Days,  who  also  is  the  Lord, 
it  is  said,  that  his  "  garment  was  white  as  snow,"  Dan.  vii.  9  ; 
and  also  of  the  Lord,  "All  thy  garments  smell  of  myrrh,  aloes, 
and  cassia,"  Psalm  xlv.  8.  "  He  washed  his  garments  in  wine, 
and  his  clothes  in  the  blood  of  grapes,"  Gen.  xlix.  11.  "  Who  is 
this  that  Cometh  from  Edom,  with  dyed  garments  from  Bozrah  ? 
this  that  is  glorious  in  his  ajpjparel :  wherefore  art  thou  red  in 
thine  apparel  i  and  thy  garments  like  him  that  treadeth  in  the 
wine-fat  %  And  their  blood  shall  be  sprinkled  upon  my  garments^ 
and  I  will  stain  all  my  raiment^''  Isaiah  Ixiii.  1 — 3.  This  also 
refers  to  the  Lord ;  his  garments  there  are  the  truths  of  the 
Word.  He  that  sat  upon  the  white  horse,  "  was  clothed  with  a 
vesture  dipped  in  blood,  and  his  name  is  called  the  Word  of  God," 
Apoc.  xix.  13,  16.  From  the  signification  of  garments  it  may 
be  seen,  why  the  Lord's  disciples  laid  their  clothes  upon  the  ass 
and  the  colt,  when  the  Lord  entered  into  Jerusalem,  and  why 
the  people  then  spread  their  garments  in  the  way,  Matt.  xxi. 
7 — 9  ;  Mark  xi.  7,  8 ;  Luke  xix.  35,  39 ;  and  what  is  signified 
by  the  soldiers  dividing  the  Lord's  garments  into  four  parts, 
John  xix.  23,  24 ;  and  consequently  what  is  signified  by  these 
134 


V.   4.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.  167 

words  in  David :  "  Tlicy  part  my  garments  among  them,  and 
cast  lots  upon  my  vesture^''  Psalm  xxii.  18.  From  the  signifi- 
cation of  garments  it  also  appears  why  they  rent  their  garments, 
when  any  onesi)akc  against  the  divine  truth  of  the  AVord,  Isaiah 
xxxvii.  1,  and  in  other  i)laces  :  also  why  they  washed  their  gar- 
ments that  they  might  be  purified,  Exod.  xix.  14;  Levit.  xi.  24, 
40  ;  xiv\  8,  9  ;  Xnmb.  xix.  11,  to  the  end  :  and  why,  on  account 
of  their  trangressions  against  divine  truths,  they  put  off  their 
garments  and  put  on  sackcloth,  Isaiah  xv.  3  ;  xxii.  12 ;  xxxvii. 
1,  2  ;  Jerem.  iv.  8 ;  vi.  26  ;  xlviii.  37 ;  xlix.  3  ;  Lament,  ii.  10  ; 
Ezek.  xxvii.  31  ;  Amos  viii.  10  ;  Jonah  iii.  5,  6,  8.  He  who 
knows  what  garments  signify  in  general  and  in  particular,  may 
know  what  whs  signitied  by  the  garments  of  Aaron  and  his  sons, 
which  were  the  ephod,  the  robe,  the  coat  with  embroidery  of 
chequer-work,  the  girdle,  the  breeches,  and  the  mitre.  Because 
light  signifies  divine  truth,  and  garment  has  the  same  significa- 
tion, therefore  it  is  said  in  David,  Jehovah  covereth  himself 
"  with  I'lgJd  as  with  a  garment^''  Psalm  civ.  2. 

167.  And  they  shall  xoalk  with  me  in  iohite,for  they  are 
worthy^  signifies  that  they  shall  live  with  the  Lord  in  his  spir- 
itual kingdom,  because  they  are  in  truths  from  him.  That  this 
is  the  meaning  of  these  words,  is  because  to  walk,  in  the  Word, 
signifies  to  live,  and  to  walk  with  God  signifies  to  live  with  him  ; 
and  because  in  white  signifies  in  truths  ;  for  in  the  Word,  white 
is  predicated  of  truths,  by  reason  of  its  deriving  its  origin  from 
the  light  of  the  sun  ;  and  red  is  predicated  of  goods,  in  conse- 
quence of  its  deriving  its  origin  from  the  fire  of  the  sun ;  and 
black  is  predicated  of  falses,  from  its  deriving  its  origin  from  the 
darkness  of  hell.  They  who  are  in  truths  from  the  Lord,  are, 
by  virtue  of  their  being  conjoined  with  him,  called  worthy,  for 
ail  worth  in  the  spiritual  world  is  from  conjunction  with  the 
Lord  ;  from  these  considerations  it  is  evident,  that  "  they  shall 
walk  with  me  in  white,  for  they  are  worthy,"  signifies  that  they 
shall  live  with  the  Lord,  because  they  are  in  truths  from  him. 
It  is  said  that  they  shall  live  with  the  Lord  in  his  spiritual 
kingdom,  because  the  universal  heaven  is  divided  into  two 
kingdoms,  the  celestial  and  the  spiritual,  and  they  are  in  the 
celestial  kingdom  who  are  in  the  good  of  love  from  the  Lord, 
and  they  are  in  the  spiritual  kingdom  who  are  in  the  truths  of 
wisdom  from  the  Lord  ;  and  the  latter  are  said  to  walk  with  the 
Lord  in  white  ;  and  they  are  also  clothed  in  white  garments. 
That  to  walk  signifies  to  live,  and  tliat  to  walk  witli  God  signi- 
fies to  live  with  him,  because  from  him,  appears  from  the  fol- 
lowing places  :  "  Let  us  icalk  in  the  light  of  Jehovah,"  Isaiah 
ii.  5.  "Thou  hast  deRvered  my  feet  from  falling,  that  1  may 
walh  before  God  in  the  light  of  the  living,"  Psalm  Ivi.  13. 
•'  Thou  hast  not  been  as  my  servant  David  who  kept  my  com- 
mandments, and  Avho  walked  after  me  with  all  his  heart,"  1  Kings 
135 


loo — 170         THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.        [Cliap.  iii. 

8.  "  Keinember,  O  Jehovah, — how  I  have  walked  before  thee 
in  truth,"  Isaiali  xxxviii.  3.  If  ye  "  will  walk  contrary  unto  me, 
and  if  ye  will  not — hearken  unto  me,  then  I  will  walk  contrary 
unto  you,"  Levit.  xxvi.  23,  24,  27.  They  would  not  walk  in  the 
ways  of  Jehovah,"  Isaiah  xlii.  24 ;  Deut.  xi.  22 ;  xix.  9 ;  xxvi. 
17.  "  All  people  will  walk^  every  one  in  the  name  of  his  God, 
and  we  will  walh  in  the  name  of  Jehovah,'  Micah  iv.  5.  "  Yet 
a  little  while  is  the  light  with  you  ;  walk  while  ve  have  the  light, 
—believe  in  the  light,"  John  xii.  35,  36  ;  viii."l2.  "The  Pha- 
risees and  scribes  asked  him.  Why  walk  not  thy  disciples  accord- 
ing to  the  tradition  of  the  elders?"  Mark  vii.  5.  It  is  also  said 
of  Jehovah,  that  he  walketh  amongst  them,  that  is,  lives  in 
them  and  with  them  :  "  I  will  set  my  tabernacle  in  the  midst  of 
them — and  I  will  loalk  in  the  midst  of  you,  and  will  be  your 
God,"  Levit.  xxvi.  11,  12.  Hence  it  is  evident,  what  is  meant 
above  by  "  These  things  saitli  He — who  walketh  in  the  midst  of 
the  seven  golden  candlesticks,"  Apoc.  ii.  1. 

168.  He  that  overeoineth,  the  same  shall  he  clothed  in  white 
raiment^  signifies  that  he  who  is  reformed  becomes  spiritual. 
That  he  that  overcometh,  signifies  he  who  is  reformed,  may  be 
seen  above,  n.  88  ;  and  that  to  be  clothed  in  white  raiment,  sig- 
nifies to  be  made  spiritual  by  means  of  truths,  n.  166, 167.  All 
those  become  spiritual  who  are  in  truths,  and  in  a  life  according 
to  them. 

169.  And  I  will  not  hlot  out  his  name  out  of  the  hook  of 
life^  signifies  that  he  shall  be  saved.  What  the  signification  of 
name  is,  has  been  shown  before,  and  what  the  book  of  life  is, 
will  be  explained  below.  That  not  to  blot  out  his  name  out  of 
the  book  of  life,  is  to  be  saved,  is  plain  to  every  one. 

170.  And  I  will  confess  his  name  hefore  my  Father,  and  he- 
fore  his  angels,  signifies  that  they  will  be  received  who  are  in 
divine  good  and  in  divine  truths  from  the  Lord,  thus  who  have 
the  life  of  heaven  in  themselves.  That  to  confess  the  name  is 
to  acknowledge  the  quality  of  any  one,  or  that  it  is  such,  is  evi- 
dent from  the  signification  of  name,  as  given  above,  n.  81, 122  ; 
by  Father,  is  meant  divine  good,  aiid  by  angels  divine  truths, 
both  from  the  Lord.  In  the  Word  of  the  evangelists  the  Father 
is  often  mentioned  by  the  Lord,  by  whom  is  everywhere  meant 
Jehovah,  from  whom  and  in  whom  he  was,  and  who  was  in  him, 
and  nowhere  any  divine  principle  separated  from  him  :  this  is 
abundantly  proved  indeed  in  The  Doctrine  of  the  Newi  Jeru- 
salem concerning  the  Lord ;  and  also  in  The  Angelic  Wisdom 
concerning  the  Divine  Providence,  n.  262,  263 :  that  the  Lord 
himself  is  the  Father,  may  be  seen,  n.  21,  960.  The  Lord  made 
mention  of  the  Father,  because  by  Father  in  the  spiritual  sense 
is  signified  good,  and  by  God  the  Father  the  divine  good  o+' 
divine  love  ;  the  angels  never  understand  any  thing  else  by 
Father  when  it  is  read  in  the  Word,  nor  can  thej'  understand 

136 


V.  6 7.]         THE  ArOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.         171 — 173 

any  thing  else,  because  no  one  in  the  heavens  knows  any  Father, 
of  whom  they  are  said  to  be  born,  and  whose  children  and  heirs 
they  are  called,  except  the  Lord :  this  is  understood  by  the 
Lord's  words  in  Matt,  xxxii.  9.  Hence  it  is  evident  that  by 
confessing  his  name  before  the  Father,  is  signilied  that  they 
will  be  received  among  those  who  are  in  divine  good  from  him. 
The  reason  why  by  angels  are  understood  those  who  are  in  di- 
vine truths  from  the  Lord,  and,  abstractedly,  divine  truths,  is 
because  ano;els  are  the  recipients  of  divine  good  in  the  divine 
truths  whicli  they  have  from  the  Lord. 

171.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith 
unto  the  churches,  signifies  that  he  who  understands  these 
things,  ought  to  obey  what  the  divine  truth  of  the  AVord  teaches 
those  who  are  to  be  of  the  New  Church,  which  is  the  ]S^ew  Je- 
rusalem, as  above,  n.  87. 

172.  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Philadelphia  write, 
signifies  to  those  and  concerning  those  who  are  in  truths  origin- 
ating in  good  from  the  Lord.  That  these  are  meant  by  the 
church  in  Philadelphia,  is  clear  from  what  is  written  to  it,  when 
understood  in  the  spiritual  sense, 

173.  Tliese  things,  saith  lie  that  is  holy,  lie  that  is  true,  signi- 
fies the  Lord  as  to  divine  truth.  That  it  is  the  Lord,  is  evident ; 
the  reason  why  He  that  is  holy,  He  that  is  true,  is  the  Lord  as 
to  divine  truth,  is  because  the  Lord  is  called  holy  from  his  di- 
vine triith,  and  righteous  from  his  divine  good  ;  hence  it  is, 
that  his  proceeding  divine,  which  is  divine  truth,  is  called  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  here  is  He  that  is  holy.  He 
that  is  true.  Holy  often  occurs  in  the  Word,  and  everywhere 
relates  to  truth,  and  as  all  truth,  which  is  true  in  itself,  is 
grounded  in  good,  and  is  from  the  Lord,  it  is  that  truth  which 
is  called  holy ;  but  good  from  which  truth  originates,  is  called 
righteous ;  hence  it  is,  that  the  angels  who  are  in  the  truths  of 
wisdom,  and  are  called  spiritual,  are  named  holy,  and  the  angels 
who  arc  in  the  good  of  love,  and  are  called  celestial,  are  named 
righteous ;  in  like  manner  men  in  the  church.  It  is  also  from  this 
circumstance,  that  the  prophets  and  apostles  are  called  holy, 
for  by  the  prophets  and  apostles  are  signified  the  doctrinal 
truths  of  the  church.  For  the  same  reason  also  the  Word  is 
called  holy,  for  the  Word  is  divine  truth ;  the  law  in  the  ark 
of  the  tabernacle  was  also  called  the  holy  of  holies,  and  the 
sanctuary.  In  like  manner  Jerusalem  is  called  holy,  for  by 
Jerusalem  is  signified  the  church,  which  is  in  divine  truths.  So 
likewise  the  altar,  the  tabernacle,  and  the  garments  of  Aaron  and 
his  sons  were  called  hol}^  after  they  were  anointed  with  oil,  for 
oil  signifies  the  good  of  love  which  sanctifies,  and  every  thing 
that  is  sanctified  has  relation  to  truth.  That  the  Lord  alone  is 
lioly,  because  he  is  divine  truth  itself,  appears  from  the  follow- 
ing passages:  "Who  sliall  not  glorify  thy  name,  O  Lord,  foi 

137 


174  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Clliip.  iil. 

thoit  only  art  Jioly,''^  Apoc.  xv.  4.  '•'■Thjliedeemer  is  the  Holy 
One  of  Israel^  the  God  of  the  whole  earth  shall  he  be  called," 
Isaiah  liv.  5.  "Tims  saitli  Jehovah  the  Redeemer  of  Israel,  and 
his  Holy  One^''  Isaiah  xlix.  7.  "  As  for  our  Redeemer^  Jehovah 
of  Hosts  is  his  name,  the  Holy  One  of  Israel^''  Isaiah  xlvii.  4. 
"Thus  saith  Jehovah  your  Redeemer^  the  Holy  One  of  Israel, ^^ 
Isaiah  xliii.  1,  3.  "In  that  day — the}^  shall  stay  upon  Jehovah 
the  Holy  One  of  Israel  in  truth,"  Isaiah  x.  20  ;  besides  other 
places ;  as  Isaiah  i.  4 ;  v.  19 ;  xii.  6 ;  xvii.  7 ;  xxix.  19 ;  xxx.  11, 12  ; 
xli.  16;  xlv.  11, 15;  xlviii.  17;  Iv.  5  ;  Ix.  9;  Jerem.  i.  29;  Dan.  iv. 
10,  20 ;  Psalm  Ixxviii.  41.  As  the  Lord  is  holiness  itself,  therefore 
the  angel  said  unto  Mary,  "That  AoZy  thing  which  shall  be  born 
of  thee  shall  be  called  the  Son  of  God,"  Luke  i.  35  ;  and  the 
Lord  said  of  himself.  Father,  "  sanctify  them  througli  the  truth, 
thy  Word  is  truth  ; — for  their  sakes  I  sanctfy  myself;  that  they 
also  might  be  sanctified  through  the  truth,"  John  xvii.  17, 19  ; 
hence  it  appears,  that  the  truth,  which  is  from  the  Lord,  is  lio- 
liness  itself,  because  he  alone  is  holy  ;  on  which  subject  the  Lord 
says,  "  When  He,  the  Spirit  of  truth,  is  come,  he  will  guide  you 
into  all  truth  ;  for  he  shall  not  speak  from  himself — for  he  shall 
receive  of  mine — and  shall  show  it  unto  you,"  John  xvi.  13,  14, 
15.  "  The  Comforter,  the  Holy  Spirit,  he  shall  teach  you  all 
things,"  John  xiv.  26.  That  the  Holy  Spirit  is  the  life  of  the 
Lord's  wisdom,  thus  the  divine  truth,  may  be  seen  in  the  Doc- 
trine of  the  New  Jerusalem,  concerning  the  lord^  n.  51.  From 
hence  it  may  appear,  that  He  that  is  holy.  He  that  is  true,  is  the 
Lord  as  to  his  divine  truth.  That  holy  refers  to  truth,  and  right- 
eous to  good,  is  evident  from  those  places  in  the  Word  where 
both  expressions  occur;  as  from  the  following:  "He  that  is 
righteous  let  him  be  righteous  still,  and  he  that  is  holy  let  him 
be  holy  still,"  Apoc.  xxii.  11.  "  Just  and  true  are  thy  ways, 
thou  King  of  saints^''  Apoc.  xv.  3.  To  serve  him  "  in  holiness 
and  righteousness,''''  Luke  i.  75.  "  Herod  feared  John,  knowing 
that  he  was  o,  just  man  and  a  fioly,''^  Mark  vi.  20.  "  Fine  linen 
is  the  righteousness  of  the  sa,ints,^^  Apoc,  xix.  8. 

174.  He  that  hath  the  hey  of  David,  He  that  openeth  and  no 
one  shutteth,  and  shutteth  and  no  one  openeth,  signifies,  who 
alone  is  omnipotent  to  save.  By  David  is  meant  the  Lord  as  to 
iivine  truth  ;  by  key  is  signified  the  Lord's  omnipotence  over 
eaven  and  hell ;  and  by  opening  tliat  no  one  can  shut,  and  by 
shutting  that  no  one  can  open,  is  signified  to  lead  forth  out  of 
hell  and  introduce  into  heaven,  thus  to  save,  in  like  manner  as 
above,  n.  62,  where  it  is  explained.  That  by  David  is  meant 
the  Lord  as  to  divine  truth,  may  be  seen  in  The  Doctrine  of  the 
New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  lord,  n.  43,  44.  The  same, 
wliich  is  here  signified  by  the  key  of  David,  is  also  signified  by 
the  keys  of  Peter,  Matt.  xvi.  15 — 19,  which  may  be  seen  ex- 
plained below,  n.  798,  as  also  by  these  words  to  all  the  disciples, 
138 


V.  7,  8.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         175 — 176 

""Whatsoever  ye  sliall  bind  on  earth  shall  he  bonnd  in  heaven, 
and  M'hatsoever  je  shall  loose  on  earth  shall  be  loosed  in  liea- 
ven,"  Matt,  xviii.  18;  for  the  twelve  disciples  represented  all 
things  of  the  church  as  to  its  goods  and  truths,  and  Peter  rep- 
resented it  as  to  truth,  and  truths  and  goods  save  man,  conse- 
quently the  Lord  alone  from  whom  they  are  derived.  The  same 
is  also  signitied  by  the  key  of  David  which  was  given  to  Eliakim, 
concerning  which  it  is  thus  M'Htten  :  "  I  will  commit  thy  gov- 
ernment into  his  hands,  and  lie  shall  be  a  Father  to  the  inhab- 
itants of  Jerusalem,  and  to  the  house  of  Judah,  and  the  key  of 
the  house  of  David  will  I  lay  upon  his  shoulder,  so  he  shall  open 
and  none  shall  shut,  and  he  shall  shut  and  none  shall  open," 
Isaiah  xxii.  21,  22.  He  was  over  the  king's  house,  and  by  the 
king's  liouse  is  signiiied  the  church  as  to  divine  truth. 

175.  I  Jtnow  thy  ivorl's^  signifies  that  the  Lord  sees  all  their 
interiors  and  exteriors  at  once,  as  above,  n.  76. 

176.  Behold,  I  have  set  hefore  thee  an  open  door,  signifies 
that  heaven  is  open  to  those  who  are  in  truths  from  good  from 
the  Lord.  That  by  an  open  door  is  signified  admission,  is  very 
evident:  the  door  is  said  to  be  open  to  those  who  are  of  the  church 
in  Philadelphia,  because  by  that  church  are  understood  those  who 
are  in  truths  from  good  from  the  Lord,  and  to  them  the  Lord 
opens  heaven.  But  on  this  subject  something  not  before  known 
shall  be  declared.  The  Lord  alone  is  the  God  of  heaven  and 
earth,  Matt,  xxviii.  18  ;  they  therefore  who  do  not  directly  ap- 
proach him,  cannot  see  the  way  to  heaven,  nor  can  they  find  the 
door,  and  if  haply  they  are  permitted  to  approach  it,  it  is  shut, 
and  if  they  knock  it  is  not  opened.  Li  the  si^iritual  world  there 
are  actually  ways  which  lead  to  heaven,  and  there  are  here  and 
there  gates,  and  they  who  are  led  to  heaven  by  the  Lord,  take 
the  ways  which  lead  thither,  and  enter  in  at  the  gates.  That 
there  are  ways  there,  may  be  seen  in  the  work  concerning  Heaven 
and  Hell,  n.  479,  534,  590  ;  and  also  gates,  n.  429,  430,  583, 
584 ;  for  all  things  which  are  seen  in  the  heavens  are  correspond- 
ences, thus  also  ways  and  gates  ;  for  ways  correspond  to  truths, 
and  thence  signify  them,  and  gates  correspond  to  admission,  and 
thence  signify  it.  Since  the  Lord  alone  leads  man  to  heaven, 
and  opens  the  door,  therefore  he  calls  himself  the  way  and  also 
ihe  door:  the  way  in  John:  "/am  the  ivay,  ami  the  truth,  and 
the  life,"  xiv.  6  ;  the  door  in  the  same  evangelist:  "I  am  the 
dooroit\\Q  sheep — by  me,  if  any  man  enter  in,  he  shall  be  saved," 
X.  7,  9.  Since  there  are  both  ways  and  doors  in  the  spiritual 
world,  and  angelic  spirits  actually  go  those  ways,  and  enter  into 
heaven  by  doors,  therefore  inner  doors,  outer  doors,  and  gates 
are  frequently  mentioned  in  the  Word,  by  which  is  signified  en- 
trance ;  as  in  these  places  :  "  Lift  up  your  heads,  (3  yc  gates, 
even  lift  them  u]i,  ye  everlasting  doors,  and  the  King  of  Glory 
shall  come  in,"  Psalm  xxiv.  7,  9.     "  Open  ye  the  gates,  that  th« 

139 


177 — 182         THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.        [Chap.  ill. 

righteous  nation,  which  keepeth  the  trnth,  may  enter  in,"  Isaiah 
xxvi.  2.  The  five  prudent  virgins  "  went  in  with  him  to  the 
marriage,  and  the  door  was  shut ;"  and  tlie  five  foolish  virgins 
came  and  knocked,  but  it  was  not  opened,  Matt.  xxv.  10 — 12 
Jesus  said,  "  Strive  to  enter  in  at  the  strait  gate^  for  many — will 
seek  to  enter  in,  and  shall  not  be  able,"  Luke  xiii.  24  ;  besides 
many  others.  Since  a  door  signifies  entrance,  and  the  Xew  Jeru- 
salem signifies  the  church  consisting  of  those  who  are  in  truths 
grounded  in  good  from  the  Lord,  therefore  the  New  Jerusalem 
is  described  also  as  to  its  gates,  upon  which  tliere  were  angels, 
and  it  is  said,  "  They  shall  not  be  shut,"  Apoc,  xxi.  12,  13,  25, 

177.  And  no  one  is  ahle  to  shut  it,,  signifies  that  hell  cannot 
prevail  against  them  ;  for  the  Lord  alone  opens  and  shuts  the 
doors  to  heaven,  and  the  door,  which  ho  opens,  is  perpetually 
open  to  those  who  are  in  truths  grounded  in  good  from  the 
Lord,  and  perpetually  shut  to  those  who  are  in  falses  grounded 
in  evil ;  and  since  the  Lord  alone  opens  and  shuts,  it  follows 
that  hell  cannot  prevail  against  them  :  more  may  be  seen  on  this 
subject  above,  n.  174. 

178.  For  thou  hast  a  little  jpower^  signifies  because  they 
know  that  they  can  do  nothing  from  themselves,  Tliey  who 
are  in  truths  grounded  in  good  from  the  Lord,  know  that  they 
have  not  any  power  against  evils  and  falses,  thus  against  hell, 
from  themselves,  and  they  also  know  that  they  cannot,  out  of 
any  power  from  themselves,  do  good  and  introduce  themselves 
into  heaven,  but  that  all  power  is  the  Lord's,  and  thus  is  in 
them  from  the  Lord,  and  in  proportion  as  they  are  in  truths 
grounded  in  good,  in  the  same  proportion  they  are  in  power 
from  the  Lord,  which  yet  appears  to  them  as  their  own  :  this 
then  is  what  is  meant  b}^  "  For  thou  hast  a  little  power." 

179.  And  hast  kejjt  my  Word,  signifies  because  they  live 
according  to  the  Lord's  commandments  in  his  Word,  as  is  evi- 
dent without  any  explanation. 

180.  And  hast  not  denied  tny  name,  signifies  that  they  are 
in  the  worship  of  the  Lord.  That  the  name  of  Jehovah,  or  of 
the  Lord,  in  the  Word,  signifies  all  by  which  he  is  worshipped, 
thus  every  docirine  of  the  church,  and  universally  the  whole 
of  religion,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  81  ;  from  which  it  is  plain 
what  is  here  signified  by  thou  "  hast  not  denied  my  name." 

181.  Behold,  I  will  make  them  of  the  synagogue  of  Satan, 
signifies  those  who  are  in  falses  as  to  doctrine,  as  mav  be  seen 
above,  n.  97. 

182.  Who  say  they  are  Jews,  and  are  not,  hut  do  lie,  signi- 
fies who  say  that  the  church  is  among  them,  and  yet  it  is  not. 
JBy  Jews  here  are  meant  they  who  are  of  the  church,  because 
the  church  was  instituted  among  them,  therefore  also  by  their 
Jerusalem  is  still  understood  the  cliurcli  as  to  doctrine :  but, 
specifically,  by  Jews  are  meant  they  who  are  in  the  good  of 

140 


V.  8 — 11.1         THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         183 — 187 

love,  as  above,  ii.  96,  thus  also  the  clnirch,  for  from  the  good 
of  love  the  church  exists  ;  that  still  there  is  no  church  among 
them,  is  signilied  by  "  and  are  not,  but  do  lie." 

183.  Behold^  I  will  make  them  to  come  and  ii'orshij)  hefore 
thy  feet^  signifies  that  many  who  are  in  falses  as  to  cloctrine, 
provided  tliey  be  not  in  falses  grounded  in  evil,  will  receive 
and  acknowledge  the  truths  of  the  New  Church.  This  is  said 
of  those  M-ho  are  of  the  synagogue  of  Satan,  and  say  they  are 
Jews,  and  are  not,  bat  do  lie,  by  whom  are  meant  such  as  are 
in  falses  as  to  doctrine,  yet  not  in  falses  derived  from  evil,  but 
in  falses  as  to  doctrine  and  yet  in  good  as  to  life  ;  the  latter, 
and  not  the  former,  receive  and  acknowledge  truths  when  they 
hear  them  ;  the  reason  is,  because  good  loves  truth,  and  truth, 
grounded  in  good,  rejects  what  is  false  ;  to  receive  and  acknow- 
ledge truths  is  signified  by  coming  and  worshipping  at  thy 
feet ;  not  at  their  feet,  but  at  the  feet  of  the  Lord,  from  whom 
truths  are  derived  to  them  from  good  ;  therefore  the  following 
passage  in  David  has  a  like  signification  :  "  Exalt  ye  Jehovah 
our  G-od,  and  worship  at  his  footstool,''^  Psalm  xcix.  5. 

184.  A7id  to  knoio  that  I  have  loved  thee,  signifies  that  they 
Bhall  see  that  they  who  are  in  truths  grounded  in  good,  are  be- 
loved and  received  into  heaven  by  the  Lord  :  this  follows  in  a 
series  from  the  foregoing. 

185.  Because  thou  hast  kept  the  Word  of  my  patience,  sig- 
nifies because  they  have  fought  against  evils,  and  then  rejected 
falses.  That  the  word  of  patience  signifies  spiritual  combat, 
which  is  called  temptation,  is  plain  from  what  next  follows  ; 
"  I  also  will  keep  thee  from  the  hour  of  temptation  which  shall 
come  upon  all  the  world,"  for  he  Avho  is  tempted  in  the  world, 
is  not  tempted  after  death.  Spiritual  coml)at,  which  is  tempt- 
ation, is  called  the  Word  of  the  Lord's  patience,  because  in 
temptations  the  Lord  fights  for  man,  and  he  fights  by  means  of 
truths  out  of  his  Word. 

186.  I  also  will  keep  thee  from  the  hour  of  temptation  %vhich 
shall  come  upon  all  the  world,  to  try  them,  that  dwell  iqyon  the 
earth,  signifies  that  they  will  be  protected  and  preserved  in  the 
day  of  tlie  last  judgment.  That  their  protection  and  preserva- 
tion in  the  day  of  judgment  is  understood  by  these  words,  may 
be  seen  from  what  is  written  and  related  concerning  Tlie  Last 
Judgment  in  the  work  on  that  subject,  and  afterwards  in  The  Con- 
tinuation of  the  same,  from  which  it  is  manifest,  that  they  who 
underwent  it  were  let  into  temptation,  and  explored  as  to  their 
qualities,  and  that  such  as  were  interiorly  evil  were  rejected, 
and  such  as  were  interiorly  good  were  saved  ;  and  they  were  in- 
teriorly good  who  were  in  truths  grounded  in  good  from  the  Lord. 

187.  Behold,  I  come  quickly,  signifies  the  Lord's  coming, 
and  then  a  new  church  from  them.  Tiie  Lord  says  here,  ''Be- 
hold, I  come  quickly,"  because  by  the  foregoing  words  is  under' 

141 


188,  189  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.        [Chap.  ill. 

stood  the  last  judgment,  and  the  last  judgment  is  also  called  the 
Lord's  coming,  as  in  Matthew :  The  disciples  said  iinto  Jesus, 
"  What  shall  be  the  sign  of  thy  coining  and  of  the  eoiisummation 
of  the  ageV  xxiv.  3.  The  consummation  of  the  age  is  the 
last  time  of  the  church,  when  the  last  judgment  is  at  hand.  The 
reason  why  by  these  words,  "  Behold,  I  come  quickly,"  a  new 
church  is  also  understood,  is,  because  after  a  last  judgment  a 
church  is  establislied  by  the  Lord  ;  that  church  now  is  the  Kew 
Jerusalem,  into  which  will  enter  those  who  are  in  truths  grounded 
in  good  from  the  Lord,  to  whom  this  is  addressed. 

188.  Hold  fast  that  thou  hast,  signifies  that  in  the  mean- 
time they  should  remain  in  their  truths  and  in  their  good,  as 
is  manifest  without  explanation. 

189.  That  no  one  take  thy  crown,  signifies  lest  wisdom  should 
perish,  from  which  comes  eternal  felicity.  "Wisdom  in  man  is  to 
be  traced  to  no  other  source  than  good  by  truths  from  the  Lord. 
The  reason  why  man  procures  wisdom  by  truths,  is,  because  the 
Lord  joins  or  connects  himself  to  man,  and  man  to  himself  by 
them,  and  the  Lord  is  wisdom  itself;  therefore  wisdom  perishes 
in  man  when  he  ceases  to  do  truths,  that  is,  to  live  according  to 
them,  for  then  he  ceases  to  love  wisdom,  and  thus  to  love  the 
Lord.  By  wisdom  is  meant  wisdom  in  things  spiritual,  from 
which,  as  from  its  source,  is  derived  wisdom  in  other  things, 
which  is  called  intelligence,  and  by  intelligence,  science,  which 
exists  from  the  afii'ection  of  knowing  truths.  A  crown  signifies 
wisdom,  because  wisdom  holds  the  supreme  place  in  man,  and 
thus  crowns  him  ;  neither  does  a  king's  crown  signify  any  thing 
else,  for  king,  in  a  spiritual  sense,  is  divine  truth,  n.  20,  and 
from  divine  truth  comes  all  wisdom.  Wisdom  is  also  signified 
by  crown  in  the  following  places  :  "  Tliere  will  I  make  the  horn 
of  David  to  bud — but  upon  himself  shall  his  croivn  flourish," 
Psalm  cxxxii.  17, 18.  "And  I  will  put  a  jewel  in  thy  forehead, 
and  ear-rings  in  thine  ears,  and  a  beautiful  crown  upon  thy 
head,"  Ezek.  xvi.  12  ;  speaking  of  Jerusalem,  by  which  is  signi- 
fied the  church  as  to  doctrine,  tlierefore  a  crown  of  ornament 
denotes  wisdom  derived  from  divine  truth  or  the  Word.  "In 
that  day  shall  Jehovah  of  Hosts  be  for  a  crown  of  glory,  and  for 
a  diadem  of  beauty  unto  the  residue  of  his  people,"  Isaiah 
xxviii.  5  ;  speaking  of  the  Lord,  because  it  is  said  in  that  day ; 
the  crown  of  glory  which  he  will  be,  is  wisdom,  and  the  diadem 
of  beauty  is  intelligence  ;  the  residue  of  the  people  are  they 
among  whom  his  church  will  be.  The  same  is  signified  by  crown 
and  diadem  in  Isaiah  Ixii.  1,3;  as  also  by  the  plate  of  gold  upon 
Aaron's  mitre,  Exod.  xxviii.  36,  37,  which  Avas  also  called  the 
coronet.  Likewise  in  these  places  :  "  Say  unto  the  king,  and  to 
the  queen.  Humble  yourselves,  sit  down,  for  your  principalities 
shall  come  down,  even  the  croion  of  your  glory,"  Jerem.  xiii. 
18.  "The  joy  of  our  heart  is  ceased — the  crown  is  fallen  from 

142 


V.  11,  12.J         THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.  190,  191 

onr  head,''  Lament,  v.  15, 16.  "  He  hatli  stn'pt  mo  of  my  glory, 
and  tak(iii  the  crown  from  my  head,"  Job  xix.  9.  "Thou  hast 
profaned  his  croicn  by  casting  it  to  the  ground,"  Psahn  hxxxix. 
89.     In  these  phices,  by  crown  is  signilied  wisdom. 

190.  Him  that  oveixovieth,  signifies  they  wdio  persist  in 
truths  from  good  from  the  Lord,  as  appears  from  tlie  series,  and 
thus  without  exphanation. 

191.  Will  Imal-e  a  'pillar  hi  the  temple  of  my  God^  signifies 
that  truths  from  good  from  the  Lord,  with  those  in  whom  they 
abide,  sustain  the  Lord's  cliurch  in  lieaven.  By  temple  the 
church  is  signified,  and  by  the  temple  of  my  God,  the  Lord'a 
church  in  heaven  ;  hence  it  is  evident,  that  by  pillar  is  signified 
that  wdiich  sustains  and  strengthens  the  church,  or  the  divine 
truth  of  the  AVord.  By  temple,  in  a  supreme  sense,  the  Lord 
is  signified  as  to  liis  Divine  Humanity,  more  particularly  as  to 
divine  truth  ;  but,  in  a  representative  sense,  by  temple  is  signi- 
fied the  Lord's  church  in  heaven,  and  likewise  the  Lord's  church 
in  the  world.  That  temple,  in  a  supreme  sense,  signifies  the 
Lord  as  to  his  Divine  Humanity,  and  more  particularly  as  to 
divine  truth,  is  evident  from  these  places  :  "  Jesus  said  unto  the 
Jews,  Destroy  this  temple^  and  in  three  days  I  will  raise  it  up — 
but  he  spake  of  the  temple  of  his  body,"  John  ii.  19,  21.  "  I 
saw  no  temple  in  the  ISTew  Jerusalem,  for  the  Lord  God  Almighty 
and  the  Lamb  are  the  temple  of  it,"  Apoc.  xxi.  22.  "  Behold, — 
tlie  Lord  whom  ye  seek  shall  suddenly  come  to  his  temple^  even 
the  messenger  of  the  covenant,"  Malachi  iii.  1.  "  I  will  bow 
down  towards  the  temple  of  thine  holiness,"  Psalm  xxviii.  2 
"Yet  I  will  again  look  to  thy  holy  temple^ — and  my  prayer  shall 
come  in  nnto  thee,  into  thy  holy  temple^''  Jonah  ii.  4.  7.  The 
holy  temple  of  Jehovah,  or  the  Lord,  is  his  Divine  Humanity, 
for  that  is  bowed  down  to,  looked  to,  and  prayed  to,  and  not  the 
temple  only,  for  the  temple  in  itself  is  not  holy  ;  it  is  called  the 
holy  temple,  because  holiness  is  predicated  of  divine  truth,  n. 
123.  Neither  by  "  the  temple  which  sanctifieth  the  gold,"  Matt, 
xxiii.  16,  17,  is  any  thing  else  understood  but  the  Lord's  Divine 
Humanity.  That  by  temple,  in  a  representative  sense,  is  signi- 
fied the  Lord's  churcli  in  heaven,  appears  from  these  places : 
"  A  voice  from  the  temple^  a  voice  of  Jehovah,"  Isaiali  Ixvi.  6. 
"  There  came  a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple  of  heaven,"  Apoc. 
xvi.  17.  "  The  temp)le  of  God  was  opened  in  lieaven,  and  tliere 
was  seen  in  his  temp)le  the  ark  of  his  testament,"  Apoc.  xi.  19. 
"  The  temple  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  testimony  in  heaven  was 
opened  ;  and  the  seven  angels  came  out  of  the  temple: — and  the 
temple  was  filled  with  smo3<e  from  the  glory  of  God,"  Apoc.  xv. 
5,  o,  8.  "  I  called  upon  Jehovah,  and  cried  unto  my  God  :  he 
heard  my  voice  out  of  his  tenple^''  Ps<ilm  xviii.  6.  "  I  saw 
Jehovali  sitting  upon  a  throne,  high  and  lifted  uj),  and  his  ti-ain 
"<illed  the  temple^''  Isaiah  vi.  1.    That  temple  signifies  the  church 

143 


192,  193  THE  APOCALYPSE  EEVEALED.        [Chap.  iii. 

in  the  world,  is  clear  from  these  places  :  "  Our  holy — house  is 
burnt  np  with  fire,"  Isaiah  Ixiv.  11.  "  I  will  shake  all  nations, 
— and  I  will  fill  this  house  with  glory ; — the  glory  of  this  latter 
house  shall  be  greater  than  of  the  former,"  Hag.  ii.  7,  8.  The 
chnrch  about  to  be  re-established  by  the  Lord  is  described  by 
tlie  new  temple  in  Ezek.  xl.' — xlviii.,  and  is  understood  by  "  the 
temple  which  the  angel  measured,"  Apoc.  xi,  1,  and  also  in 
Isaiah  xliv.  28 ;  Jerem.  vii.  2,  3,  4,  9, 10,  11 ;  Zech.  viii.  9.  The 
disciples  came  to  Jesus,  "  to  show  him  the  buildings  of  the 
temple,  and  Jesus  said  unto  them, — Verily  I  say  unto  you,  thero 
shall  not  be  left  one  stone  upon  another  that  shall  not  be  thrown 
down,"  Matt.  xxiv.  1,  2;  Mark  xiii.  1—5;  Luke  xxi.  5 — 7.  By 
temple  here  is  signified  the  church  at  this  day,  and  by  its  disso- 
lution even  to  there  not  being  one  stone  left  upon  another,  is 
signified  the  end  of  tliis  church,  in  that  no  truth  whatever  would 
be  left ;  for  when  the  disciples  spoke  to  the  Lord  concerning  the 
temple,  the  Lord  foretold  the  successive  states  of  this  church  to 
the  end  of  it,  or  the  consummation  of  the  age,  and  by  the  con- 
summation of  the  age  is  meant  its  last  period,  which  is-  at  this 
day  :  this  was  represented  by  that  temj)le  being  utterly  de- 
stroyed. Temple  signifies  these  three,  namely,  the  Lord,  the 
church  in  heaven,  and  the  church  in  the  world,  because  these 
three  make  one,  and  cannot  be  separated,  consequently  one  of 
them  cannot  be  understood  without  the  other*  therefore  who- 
soever separates  the  church  in  the  world  from  the  church  in 
heaven,  and  these  from  *h.<i  Lord,  is  not  in  the  truth.  The 
reason  why  the  church  in  heaven  is  here  understood,  is,  be- 
cause the  church  in  the  world  i^  treated  of  afterwards,  n.  194. 

192.  And  he  ehall  go  no  more  cit,  signifies  that  they  shall 
remain  there  to  eternity,  as  is  evident  without  explanation. 

193.  And  I ivUl  write' npon  him  the  name  of  my  God,  sig- 
nifies that  divine  truth  shall  be  written  in  their  hearts.  To  write 
in  or  upon  any  one.  signifies  to  inscribe,  so  that  it  may  be  in 
him  as  his  own  ;  and  the  name  of  my  God  signifies  divine  truth. 
Here  it  may  be  expedient  to  speak  more  particularly  concerning 
the  signification  of  "  my  God  "  as  referring  to  divine  truth.  In 
the  Word  of  the  Old  'J'estament,  in  innumerable  places,  "  Jeho- 
vah God"  occurs,  as  also  separately,  sometimes  "Jehovah,"  and 
sometimes  "God,"  and  by  Jehovah  is  meant  the  Lord  as  to 
divine  good,  and  by  God  is  meant  the  Lord  as  to  divine  truth ; 
or  what  is  the  same,  by  Jehovah  is  meant  the  Lord  as  to  divine 
love,  and  by  God  is  meant  the  Lord  as  to  divine  wisdom  ;  both 
terms  are  used  for  the  sake  of  the  celestial  marriage  in  all  the 
particulars  of  the  Word,  which  is  the  marriage  of  love  and  wis- 
dom, or  the  marriage  of  goodness  and  truth,  concerning  which 
marriage  see  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jeruscdem  concerning  the 
Sacred  Scr'qjttire,  n.  80 — 90.  But  in  the  AVord  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament it  is  not  said  Jehovah  God,  but  the  Lord  God  ;  for  Lord, 

144 


V.  12.]  TlIK    APOCALYPSE    EEVEALKD.  194 

in  like  manner  as  Jehovah,  signifies  divine  good  or  divine  love. 
From  these  considerations  it  may  appear,  that  by  the  name  of 
my  God  is  signified  the  divine  truth  uf  the  Lord.  Tiuit  name, 
when  spoken  of  the  Lord,  denotes  the  all  by  which  he  is  Avor- 
shipped,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  81 ;  and  the  all  by  Avhich  he  is 
worshipped,  has  relation  to  divine  good  and  divine  truth.  As  it 
is  not  known  what  is  meant  by  these  words  of  the  Lord,  "  Father, 
glorify  thy  name :  then  came  there  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying, 
I  have  both  glorified  it,  and  will  glorify  it  again,"  John  xii,  28, 
therefore  it  sliall  be  explained.  The  Lord,  when  he  was  in  the 
world,  made  his  Humanity  divine  truth,  and  when  he  went  out 
of  the  world,  he  fully  united  divine'  truth  to  divine  good,  which 
was  in  him  from  conception;  for  the  Lord  glorified  his  Human- 
ity, that  is,  made  it  divine,  as  he  makes  man  spiritual ;  for  lie 
first  introduces  into  man  truths  from  the  Word,  and  afterwards 
unites  them  to  good,  and  by  that  union  man  is  made  spirituah 
194.  And  the  name  of  the  city  of  my  God,  the  New  Jemsa- 
lein,  signifies  that  the  doctrine  of  the  New  Ciiurch  shall  bo 
written  in  their  hearts.  By  the  New  Jerusalem  is  signified  the 
New  Church,  and  by  the  same,  when  it  is  called  city,  is  signi- 
fied the  New  Church  as  to  doctrine;,  therefore  by  writing  upon 
him  the  name  of  the  city  of  my  God,  the  New  Jerusalem,  is 
signified  that  the  doctrine  of  the  New  Church  shall  be  written 
in  their  hearts.  That  by  the  New  Jerusalem  is  signified  the 
church,  and  by  the  same,  as  a  city,  the  church  as  to  doctrine, 
may  be  seen  below,  n.  880,  881.  A  city  signifies  doctrine, 
because  land,  and  in  particular  the  land  of  Canaan,  signifies 
the  church  in  the  aggregate,  and  thence  by  the  inheritances 
into  which  the  land  of  Canaan  was  divided,  are  signified  the 
various  things  of  the  church,  and,  by  the  cities  in  them,  doc- 
trinals  ;  so  that  the  angels  understand  nothing  else  by  cities 
when  they  are  named  in  the  AVord ;  which  has  also  been  proved 
to  me  by  much  experience.  Similar  is  the  signification  of 
moimtains,  hills,  valleys,  fountains,  rivers,  all  which  signify 
siich  things  as  belong  to  the  church.  That  cities  signify  doc- 
trinals,  may  in  some  measure  appear  from  the  following  places  : 
"  The  land  shall  be  utterly  emptied,  and  utterly  spoiled  ;  the 
earth  mourneth  and  fadeth  away  :  the  city  of  confusion  is 
broken  down;  in  the  city  is  left  desolation,  and  the  gate  is 
smitten  with  destruction,"  Isaiah  xxiv.  3,  4,  lO' — 12.  "  The  lion 
is  come  up  from  his  thicket  to  make  thy  land  desolate,  and  thy 
cities  shall  be  laid  waste.  I  beheld,  and  lo,  the  fruitful  j)laco 
n'as  a  wilderness,  and  all  the  cities  thereof  were  broken  down  : 
the  earth  shall  mourn, — the  whole  city  shall  flee,"  Jerem.  iv. 
7,  26 — 29.  The  land  here  is  the  church,  and  city  is  its  doc- 
trine ;  thus  the  devastation  of  the  church  by  falses  of  doctrine 
is  described.  "The  spoiler  shall  come  upon  eveiy  city,  and  no 
city  shall  escape;  the  valley  shall  perish,  and  the  plain  shall  bo 
145  K 


195  THE  apoca:.,ypse  revealed.  [Chap.  iii. 

destrojed,"  Jerem.  xlviii.  8  :  the  same  here.  "  Behold,  I  liave 
made  thee — a  defenced  city — against  the  whole  land,"  Jerei)i. 
i.  18:  this  to  the  prophet,  because  prophet  signifies  doctrine  of 
the  church,  n.  8.  "In  that  day  shall  this  song  be  sung  in  the 
land  of  Judah,  We  have  a  strong  city^  salvation  will  God  ap- 
point  for  walls  and  bulwarks,"  Isaiah  xxvi.  1.  "The  great  city 
was  divided  into  three  parts,  and  the  cities  of  the  nations  fell,'' 
Apoc.  xvi,  19.  The  prophet  saw  on  a  high  mountain  the  struc- 
ture of  a  city  on  the  south,  and  an  angel  measured  the  wall,  the 
gates,  the  chambers,  the  porch  of  the  gate,  and  the  name  of 
the  city  was  Jehovah  there,  Ezek.  xl.  1,  and  folloAving  verses. 
"There  is  a  river,  the  streams  whereof  shall  make  glad  the  city 
of  Gocl^''  Psalm  xlvi.  4.  "  I  will  set  the  Egyptians  against  the 
Egyptians,  and  city  against  dty^  and  kingdom  against  king- 
dom," Isaiah  xix.  2.  "  Every  kingdom  divided  against  itself  is 
brought  to  desolation,  and  every  city — divided  against  itself 
shall  not  stand,"  Matt.  xii.  25.  In  these  places  by  cities,  in  the 
spiritual  sense,  are  meant  doctrines;  as  also  in  Isaiah  vi.  11; 
xiv.  12, 17,  21;  xix.  18, 19  _;  xxv.  1—3;  xxxiii.  8,  9;  liv.  3;  Ixiv. 
10;  Jerem.  vii,  17,  34  ;  xiv.  18,  19  ;  xxxii.  42,  44  ;  xxxiii,  4  ; 
Zeph.  iii.  6  ;  Psalm  xlviii.  2  ;  Iv.  9  ;  cvii.  4,  7  ;  Matt.  v.  14,  15 ; 
and  elsewhere.  From  the  signification  of  city  it  may  appear, 
what  is  meant  by  cities  in  this  parable  of  the  Lord :  A  certain 
nobleman,  when  he  went  into  a  far  country  to  receive  for  him- 
self a  kingdom,  gave  unto  his  servants  money  to  trade  with; 
and  when  he  w' as  returned,  he  called  his  servants  ;  "  then  came 
the  first,  saying.  Lord,  thy  pound  hath  gained  ten  pounds ;  and 
he  said  unto  him,  Well,  thou  good  servant, — have  thou  authority 
over  ten  cities:  and  the  second  came,  saying.  Lord,  thy  pound 
hath  gained  five  pounds ;  and  he  said  likewise  to  him,  Be  thou 
also  over  jive  cities,''''  Luke  xix.  12 — 19.  By  cities  here,  also, 
doctrinals  or  truths  of  doctrine  are  signified,  and  by  being  over 
them  is  meant  to  be  intelligent  and  wise,  thus  to  give  authority 
over  them  is  to  give  intelligence  and  wisdom  ;  ten  signifies 
much,  and  five,  something :  that  by  trading  and  gaining  is 
meant  to  acquire  intelligence  by  the  exercise  of  one's  faculties, 
is  evident.  That  the  holy  city  Jerusalem  signifies  the  doctrine 
of  the  New  Clnirch,  is  plain  from  the  description  of  it,  Apoc. 
xxi. ;  for  it  is  described  as  to  its  dimensions,  also  as  to  its  gates, 
Its  wall,  and  its  foundations,  which,  when  Jerusalem  signifies 
the  church,  cannot  signify  any  other  than  things  belonging  to 
its  doctrines ;  neither  is  the  church  a  church  from  any  other 
cause.  Since  by  the  city  Jerusalem  is  meant  the  church  as  to 
doctrine,  therefore  it  is  called  the  "  city  of  truth,"  Zech.  viii. 
3,  4,  and  in  many  places  the  "holy  city,"  and  that  because 
holy  is  predicated  of  truths  from  the  Lord,  n.  173. 

195.  Which  cometh  down  otit  of  heaven  from  my  God,  signi- 
fies which  will  be  from  "^he  divine  truth  of  the  Lord,  such  as  it 
146 


V.  12 — 14.]  THE  APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  196-190 

is  in  heaven.  As  by  my  God  is  signified  divine  truth,  n.  193,  it 
follows,  thiit  \>y  conung  down  ont  of  heaven  from  my  God,  when 
it  is  said  of  the  Lord,  and  of  tlie  doctrine  of  the  ]^ew  Church,  is 
signitied  divine  truth  from  the  Lord,  sucli  as  exists  in  heaven. 

196.  And  my  neio  name,  signifies  the  worship  of  the  Lord 
alone,  with  other  new  things  which  were  not  in  the  former 
church.  That  by  the  name  of  the  Lord  is  signitied  every  thing 
by  which  he  is  worshipped,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  81,  therefore 
liere  the  worship  of  the  Lord  alone,  with  things  new  which  were 
not  in  the  former  church.  That  in  the  New  Church  the  Lord 
alone  is  worshipped,  is  evident  from  chap.  xxi.  8,  9,  where  that 
church  is  called  the  "  Lamb's  Wife."  That  there  are  things  new 
in  that  churcli,  appears  from  chaji.  xxi.  5,  where  it  is  said, 
"  Behold,  I  make  all  things  new.''''  Such  therefore  is  the  signi- 
lication  of  my  new  name,  which  was  to  be  written  upon  them. 

197.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  ichat  the  Spirit 
saith  unto  the  churches,  signifies  that  he  who  understands,  ought 
to  obey  what  the  divine  truth  of  the  Word  teaches  those  who 
are  to  be  of  the  New  Church,  whicli  is  the  New  Jerusalem,  as 
above,  n.  87. 

198.  And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  of  the  Laodiceans 
write,  signifies  to  those  and  concerning  those,  in  the  church, 
"who  alternately  believe,  sometimes  from  themselves,  and  some- 
times from  the  Word,  and  tlius  profane  things  holy.  But  con- 
cerning these  sometliing  must  be  premised  :  there  are  to  be 
found  in  the  church  those  who  believe  and  yet  do  not  believe  ; 
thus  they  believe  that  there,  is  a  God,  that  the  Word  is  holy, 
that  there  is  eternal  life,  and  many  other  things  connected  with 
the  church  and  its  doctrine  ;  and  still  they  do  not  believe  them  : 
they  believe  them  when  in  their  sensual  natural  [state],  but 
they  do  not  believe  them  when  they  are  in  their  rational  natural 
[state] ;  thus  they  believe  them  when  they  are  in  externals, 
therefore  when  they  are  in  society  and  discourse  with  others  ; 
but  they  do  not  believe  them  when  they  are  in  internals,  conse- 
quently when  they  are  not  in  society  with  others,  but  are  dis- 
coursing with  themselves  ;  concerning  these  it  is  said  that  they 
are  neitlier  cold  nor  hot,  and  that  they  shall  be  vomited  out. 

199.  These  things  saith  the  Amen,  the  faithful  and  true 
witness,  signifies  the  Lord  as  to  the  AVord,  which  is  divine  truth 
from  him.  That  amen  is  divine  confirmation  from  truth  itself, 
which  is  the  Lord,  so  from  the  Lord,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  23 ; 
and  that  a  faithful  and  true  witness,  when  spoken  of  the  Lord, 
is  the  divine  truth  which  is  from  him  in  the  Word,  n.  0,  16. 
Whether  you  say  that  the  Lord  testifies  of  himself,  or  that  the 
Word  testifies  of  him,  it  amounts  to  the  same,  because  the  Son 
of  Man,  who  here  speaks  to  the  churches,  is  the  Lord  as  to  the 
Word,  n.  44.  These  things  are. premised  to  this  church,  because 
those  persons  in  the  church  are  here  treated  of  who  both  believe 

147 


200  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.        [Clia}).  ill. 

from  tliemselves  and  from  the  Word;  and  they  who  believe 
from  the  Word,  believe  from  the  Lord. 

200.  The  heginning  of  the  creation  of  God,  signifies  the 
Word.  That  tlie  Word  is  the  beginning  of  the  creation  of  God, 
is  not  yet  known  in  the  church,  becanse  these  w  _  rds  in  John  are 
not  understood :  "  In  the  beginning  Avas  the  Word,  and  the  Word 
was  with  God,  and  the  Word  M-as  God  :  all  things  were  made  by 
him,  and  without  him  was  not  any  thing  made  that  was  made. 
In  him  was  life,  and  the  life  was  the  light  of  men.  He  was  in 
the  world,  and  the  world  was  made  by  him,  but  the  world  knew 
him  not.  And  the  AVord  was  made  flesh,  and  dwelt  among  us, 
and  we  beheld  his  glory,  the  glory  as  of  the  only-begotten  of  the 
Father,"  i.  1,  3,  4,  10,  14.  He  who  understands  these  words 
in  their  interior  sense,  and  at  the  same  time  compares  them  wnth 
wdiat  is  written  in  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning 
the  Sacred  Scrijpture,  as  also  with  some  things  in  The  Doctrine 
of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Lord,  may  see  that  the 
divine  truth  itself  in  the  Word  which  Avas  formerly  in  this  world, 
as  mentioned  in  n.  11,  which  likewise  is  in  our  Word  at  this  day, 
is  meant  by  the  Word  which  was  in  tlie  beginning  with  God,  and 
wdiich  was  God ;  but  not  the  Word  regarded  merely  as  to  the 
Avords  and  letters  of  the  languages  in  which  it  is  written,  but  as 
seen  in  its  essence  and  life,  which  is  from  within  in  the  senses  or 
meaning  of  its  words  and  letters;  from  this  life  does  the  Word 
vivify  the  affections  of  that  man's.will  wdio  reads  it  devoutly ;  and 
from  the  light  of  its  life  it  illuminates  the  thoughts  of  his  under- 
standing, therefore  it  is  said  in  John :  '"'•In  him  [the  Word^  loas 
life,  and  the  life  was  the  light  of  men  ^  verse  4;  this  constitutes 
the  Word,  because  the  Word  is  from  the  Lord,  and  concerning 
the  Lord,  and  thus  the  Lord.  All  thought,  speech,  and  writing, 
derives  its  essence  and  life  from  him  who  thinks,  speaks,  and 
writes ;  the  man,  with  all  that  he  is,  being  therein  ;  but  in  the 
Word,  the  Lord  alone  is.  No  one  however  feels  and  perceives 
tlie  divine  life  in  the  Word  but  he  wlio  is  in  the  spiritual  affection 
of  truth  when  he  reads  it,  for  he  is  in  conjunction  with  the  Lord 
through  the  Word  ;  there  being  something  intimately  affecting 
the  heart  and  spirit,  which  flows  with  light  into  the  understand- 
ing and  bears  witness.  The  signification  of  wliat  is  said  in  John 
is  similar  to  that  conveyed  by  these  words  in  the  first  chapter 
of  Genesis  :  "  In  the  beginning  God  created  the  heaven  and  tlie 
earth, — and  the  spirit  of  God  moved  upon  the  face  of  the  waters  ; 
and  God  said,  Let  there  be  light,  and  there  was  light,"  verse  1 
— 3.  The  spirit  of  God  is  divine  truth,  and  also  light;  divine 
truth  is  the  Word,  therefore  when  the  Lord  calls  himself  the 
Word,  he  also  calls  himself  the  light,  John  i.  4,  8,  9.  The  same 
is  also  understood  by  this  passage  in  David  :  "  By  the  AVord  of 
Jehovah  were  the  heavens  made,  and  all  the  host  of  them  by  \\\t 
breath  [spirit]  of  his  mouth,"  Psalm  xxxiii.  6.  In  short,  with- 
148 


V.  14 16.]       THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         201 204 

out  the  divine  truth  of  the  "Word,  which  in  its  essence  is  the 
divine  good  of  the  Lord's  divine  k)ve,  and  the  divine  trutli  of  his 
divine  wisdom,  man  could  not  have  life;  bj  means  of  the  Word 
there  is  a  conjunction  of  the  Lord  with  man,  and  of  man  with 
the  Lord,  and  by  that  conjunction  there  is  life:  there  must  be 
something  from  the  Lord,  which  it  is  in  the  ])0wer  of  man  to  re- 
ceive, and  by  which  there  can  be  conjunction  and  thence  life 
everlasting.  From  these  considerations  it  may  appear,  that  bv 
the  "  Beginning  of  the  creation  of  God,"  is  understood  the  Word, 
and  if  you  will  believe  it,  the  AVord  such  as  it  is  in  its  literal 
sense,  for  this  sense  is  the  aggregate  of  its  interior  sanctities,  as 
is  abundantly  shown  in  TheJJoctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  coii- 
ceniing  the  Sacred  Scrirpture.  And  what  is  wonderful,  the 
Word  is  so  written,  that  it  communicates  with  the  universal 
heaven,  and  severally  with  each  society  there,  which  it  has  been 
given  me  to  know  by  lively  experience,  as  has  been  advanced 
elsewhere.  That  the  Word  in  its  essence  is  such,  ia  moreover 
evident  from  these  words  of  the  Lord  :  "  The  words  that  I  speak 
to  you,  they  are  spirit,  and  they  are  life,"  John  vi.  63. 

201.  I'know  thy  works,  signifies  that  the  Lord  sees  all  their 
interiors  and  exteriors  at  once,  as  above,  n.  76. 

202.  That  thou  art  neither  cold  7ior  hot,  signifies  that  they 
who  are  such,  sometimes  deny  that  the  Word  is  divine  and  holy, 
and  at  other  times  acknowledge  it.  At  one  time  to  deny  in 
heart  the  sanctity  of  the  AVord,  and  at  another  time  to  acknow- 
ledge it,  is  to  be  neither  cold  nor  hot,  for  such  persons  are  both 
for  the  Word  and  against  it:  they  are  also  just  the  same  with 
respect  to  God,  at  one  time  they  deny,  and  at  another  time 
acknowledge  him  ;  in  like  manner  as  to  every  thing  relating  to 
the  church ;  for  which  reason  they  are  sometimes  with  those  who 
are  in  hell,  and  at  other  times  with  those  who  are  in  heaven,  and 
fly  as  it  were  between  both,  up  and  down,  and  wherever  they 
fiy,  thither  their  countenances  are  turned.  They  become  so, 
who  have  confirmed  themselves  in  a  belief  of  the  existence  of  a 
God,  of  heaven  and  hell,  and  of  life  eternal,  and  afterwards 
recede  from  it ;  when  the  first  confirmation  returns,  they  ac- 
knowledge, but  when  it  does  not  return,  they  deny  :  they  recede 
because  they  afterwards  think  only  of  themselves  and  the  world, 
continually  aspiring  to  pre-eminence,  and  thereby  immersing 
themselves  in  their  selfhood ;  and  thus  hell  swallows  them  up. 

203.  Iivoidd  thou  wert  cold  or  hot,  signifies  that  it  is  better 
fir  them  either  from  the  heart  to  deny  tlie  holy  things  of  the 
AVord  and  of  the  church,  or  from  the  heart  to  acknowledge  them. 
Tiie  reason  will  be  explained  in  the  next  article. 

204.  So  then  because  thou  art  lukewarm,  and  neither  cold 
vor  hot,  I  will  vomit  thee  out  of  my  mouth,  signifies  profana- 
tion and  consequent  separation  from  the  Lord.  "  I  will  vomit 
dice  out  of  my  mouth,    signifies  to  be  separated  from  theLoi'd 

149 


206  THE   APOCALYPSE   EEVEALED.  [Clliip.  ill- 

and  such  separation  from  the  Lord  consists  in  being  neither  in 
heav^en  nor  in  hell,  but  in  a  place  apart,  deprived  of  human  lite, 
where  mere  phantasies  exist ;  the  reason  is,  because  they  have 
mixed  truths  with  falses,  and  goods  with  evils,  thus  holy  things 
with  profane,  in  such  a  manner  as  that  they  cannot  be  separated ; 
and  since  man  cannot  then  be  prepared,  either  for  heaven  or  hell, 
the  Mdiole  of  his  rational  life  is  destroyed,  and  the  ultimates  of 
life  alone  remain,  which,  when  separated  from  the  interiors  of 
life,  are  mere  phantasies.  Concerning  their  state  and  lot  more 
may  be  seen  in  The  Angelic  Wisdom  concerning  the  Divine 
Provide7ice^  n,  226 — 228,  231,  which  will  suffice  to  give  an  idea 
of  them.  It  is  said  of  them  that  they  are  vomited  out,  because 
the  world  of  spirits,  which  is  in  the  midst  between  heaven  and 
liell,  and  into  which  every  man  iirst  comes  after  death,  and  is 
there  prepared,  corresponds  to  the  stomach,  in  which  all  the 
ingesta  are  j)repared  for  being  converted  either  into  blood  and 
flesh,  or  excrement  and  urine,  the  latter  having  a  correspondence 
with  hell,  but  the  former  with  heaven ;  but  the  substances  that 
are  vomited  out  of  the  stomach  are  such  as  have  not  undergone 
that  separation,  but  remain  commixed..  By  reason  of  this  cor- 
respondence, the  expression  vomited  and  vomit  are  used  in  the 
following  passages  :  "  Drink  thou  also,  and  let  thy  foreskin  be 
uncovered  ;  and  the  cup  of  the  Lord's  right  hand  shall  be  turned 
unto  thee,  and  the  shameful  vomiting  shall  be  on  thy  glory," 
Habak.  ii.  15,  16.  "  Make  ye  him  drunken,  Moab  also  shall 
wallow  in  his  vomit^^  Jerem.  xlviii.  26.  "All  tables  are  full  of 
vomit  and  fithiness,"  Isaiah  xxviii.  8 ;  besides  other  places,  as 
Jerem.  xxv.  27 ;  Levit.  xviii.  24,  25,  28.  That  warm  water 
excites  vomiting,  is  also  from  correspondence. 

206.  Because  thou  sayest^  lam  rich  and  incfr^eased  with  goods^ 
signifies  that  they  think  they  possess  in  all  abundance  the  know- 
ledges of  what  is  good  and  true,  which  are  of  heaven  and  the 
church.  To  be  rich  and  increased  with  goods,  here  signifies 
nothing  else  than  to  know  and  understand  fully  such  things  as 
belong  to  the  church  and  to  heaven,  and  are  called  spiritual  and 
theological,  because  these  are  here  considered  ;  spiritual  riches 
and  abundance  consist  in  nothing  else.  They  who  believe  from 
themselves,  and  not  from  the  Lord  through  the  Word,  think 
also  that  they  know  and  understand  every  thing ;  the  reason  is, 
because  their  spiritual  mind  is  shut,  and  their  natural  mind  alone 
open  ;  and  this  mind,  devoid  of  spiritual  light,  sees  no  otherwise. 
That  by  riches  and  possessions  in  the  Word  are  signified  spiritual 
riches  and  possessions,  which  are  knowledges  of  what  is  good  and 
true,  is  evident  from  the  following  places :  "  With  thy  wisdom 
and  with  thy  understanding  thou  hast  gotten  thee  riches^  and 
liast  gotten  gold  and  silver  in  i\\y -treasures  ;  by  thy  great  wis- 
dom thou  hast  increased  tJiy  riches^''''  Ezek.  xxviii.  4,  5  ;  this  is 
spoken  of  Tyre,  by  which  is  signified  the  church  as  to  the  know- 
150 


V.  16 17.J       TUE  APOCALYrSE  REVEALED.  207,  208 

ledo^es  of  what  is  good  and  true:  in  like  manner,  '■^'he  daughter 
ot"  Tyre  shall  be  there  with  a  gift,  even  the  rich  among  the  people 
shall  entreat  thy  favour,"  Psalm  xlv.  12.  "The  Lord  wild  cast 
her  out  and  he  will  smite  her  wealth  in  the  sea,"  Zech.  ix.  4. 
'"Tiiey  shall  make  a  spoil  of  thy  riches,^''  Ezek.  xxvi.  12.  Ashur 
liath  said,  ''  By  the  strength  of  my  hand  I  have  done  it,  and 
by  my  wisdom,  for  I  am  prudent;  and  I — have  robbed  theii 
treasures,  and  my  hand  hath  found — the  7'iches  of  the  people,'' 
Isaiah  x.  13, 14.  Here  Ashur  signilies  the  rational  faculty  per- 
verting the  goods  and  truths  of  the  church,  these  constituting 
the  treasures  and  riches  of  the  people,  which  he  takes  away. 
"  I  will  give  tliee  tlie  treasures  of  darkness,  and  hidden  riches 
of  secret  places,"  Isaiah  xlv. '3,  "Blessed  is  the  man  that 
feareth  Jehovah,  loealth  and  riches  shall  be  in  his  house,  and 
liis  righteousness  endureth  for  ever,"  Psabn  cxii.  1,  3.  God 
"  hath  filled  the  hungry  with  good  things,  and  the  rich  he  hath 
sent  empty  away,"  Luke  i.  53.  "  "Woe  unto  yon  that  are  rich, 
for  ye  have  received  your  consolation  ;  woe  unto  you  that  are 
full,  for  ye  shall  hunger,"  Luke  vi.  24,  25.  By  the  rich  here  are 
understood  those  who  were  in  possession  of  the  knowledges  of 
what  is  good  and  true,  from  their  possessing  the  Word ;  who 
were  the  Jews :  the  same  is  meant  by  the  rich  man,  who  was 
clothed  in  purple  and  fine  linen,  Luke  xvi.  19 ;  and  in  like 
manner  by  the  rich  and  riches  in  otlier  places ;  as  in  Isaiah 
xxx.  6 ;  Jerem.  xvii.  11 ;  Micah  iv.  13;  vi.  10;  Zech.  xiv.  14; 
Matt.  xii.  35  ;  xiii.  44 ;  Luke  xii.  21. 

207.  And  have  need  of  nothing,  signifies  that  they  have  no 
need  of  more  wisdom,  as  is  evident  from  what  has  been  said 
above,  because  it  follows  of  course. 

208.  And  hnowest  not  that  thou  art  wretched,  signifies  that 
they  are  not  aware  that  all  they  know  and  think  resjjecting  the 
truths  and  goods  of  the  church,  is  totally  incoherent,  and  like 
unceniented  walls.  By  being  wretched  is  here  signified  a  want 
of  coherence,  thus  by  those  who  are  wretched,  such  as  think 
incoherently  concerning  the  things  of  the  church  ;  the  reason 
is,  because  they  of  whom  this  is  said,  at  one  time  deny  God, 
heaven,  eternal"  life,  and  the  sanctity  of  the  Word,  and  at  an- 
other time  acknowledge  them  ;  therefin-e  what  they  build  with 
one  hand  they  \m\\  down  with  the  other ;  thus  they  are  like 
those  that  build  a  house,  and  presently  pull  it  down ;  or  that 
clothe  themselves  in  handsome  garments,  and  presently  tear 
them ;  their  houses  are  therefore  rubbish,  and  their  garments 
rags :  such  is  the  nature  of  all  their  thoughts  concerning  the 
church  and  heaven,  though  they  are  not  aware  of  it.  This  is  also 
meant  by  wretchedness  or  misery  in  the  following  places:  "Thy 
wisdom  and  thy  knowledge  it  hath  perverted  thee,  and  thou  liast 
said  in  thine  heart,  I  am,  and  none  else  besides  me ;  therefore 
shall  misery  come  upon  thee,"  Isaiah  xlvii.  10,  11.     '■^  Mis€','y 

161 


209,  210  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Cliap.  ui. 

shall  come  upon  misery,  and  tlie  king  shall  mourn,  and  the  prince 
sliall  be  clothed  with  desolation,"  Ezek.  vii.  26,  27.  The  king 
"vvho  shall  mourn,  and  the  prince  who  shall  be  clothed  with  deso- 
lation, are  they  who  are  in  truths  of  the  church.  "  There  is  no 
faithfulness  in  their  mouth, — misery  is  in  the  midst  of  them," 
Psalm  V.  9.  Such  also  is  the  signification  of  the  uncemented 
walls  spoken  of  in  Jerem.  xlix.  27  ;  Ezek.  xiii.  11, 12 ;  Hosea  ii.  6. 

209.  And  miserable  and  poor,  signifies  that  they  are  without 
truths  and  goods.  By  the  miserable  and  poor,  in  the  spiritual 
sense  of  the  Word,  are  meant  they  who  are  without  the  know- 
ledges of  tilings  true  and  good,  for  they  are  spiritually  miserable 
and  poor ;  the  same  are  understood  hereby  in  the  following  places ; 
"  I  am  miserable  and  poor,  yet  the  Lord  thinketli  upon  me," 
Psalm  xl.  17  ;  Ixx.  5.  "  Bow  down  thine  ear,  O  Jehovah,  hear 
me,  for  I  am  miserable  and  ])oor^''  Psalm  Ixxxvi.  1.  ''The 
wicked  have  drawn  out  their  sword  and  have  bent  their  bow, 
to  cast  down  the  miserable  and  poor, ^^  Psalm  xxxvii.  14.  The 
wicked  hath  "  persecuted  the  miserable  and  poor,  that  he  might 
even  slay  the  broken  in  heart,"  Psalm  cix.  16.  God  will  "judge 
the  miserable  of  the  people,  he  shall  save  the  children  of  the 
poor :  he  shall  deliver  the  poor  when  he  crieth,  the  miserable 
also,  and  him  that  hath  no  helper,"  Psalm  Ixxii.  4, 12.  Jehovah 
delivereth  "  the  miserable  from  him  that  is  too  strong  for  him, 
yea  ih^  poor  and  the  needy  from  him  that  spoiletli  him,"  Psalm 
XXXV.  10.  The  wicked  "  deviseth  wicked  devices  to  destroy  the 
m^iserable  with  lying  words,  even  when  \\\q  iwor  speaketh  right," 
Isaiah  xxxii.  7.  "The  miserable  also  shall  increase  their  joy  i" 
Jehovah,  and  \h% poor  among  men  shall  rejoice  in  the  Holy  One 
of  Israel,"  Isaiah  xxix.  19.  "  Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit,  for 
theirs  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven,"  Matt.  v.  3.  Not  to  mention 
other  passages,  as  Isaiah  x.  2 ;  Jerem.  xxii.  16;  Ezek.  xvi.  49 ; 
xviii.  12 ;  xxii.  29 ;  Amos  viii.  4 ;  Psalm  ix.  18  ;  Ixix.  32,  33 ; 
Ixxiv.  21;  cix.  22;  cxl.  12;  Deut.  xv.  11;  xxiv.  14;  Luke  xiv. 
13,  21,  23.  By  the  poor  and  the  needy  are  chiefiy  understood 
those  who  are  not  in  the  knowledges  of  what  is  good  and  true, 
md  yet  desire  them,  for  by  the  rich  are  understood  such  as  are 
possessed  of  the  knowledges  of  things  good  and  true,  n.  206. 

210.  And  blind  and  naked,  signifies  that  they  are  without 
the  understanding  of  truth,  and  the  will  of  good.  By  the  blind, 
in  the  Word,  are  meant  those  who  are  without  truths,  either 
)i-om  a  defect  thereof  in  the  church  and  so  from  ignorance,  or 
from  the  want  of  understanding  them  ;  and  by  the  naked  are 
meant  those  who  are  without  good ;  for  all  spiritual  good  is 
acquired  by  means  of  truth.  No  others  are  understood  by  the 
blind  in  the  following  places  :  "  In  that  day  shall  the  deaf  hear 
the  words  of  the  Book,  and  the  eyes  of  the  blind  shall  see  out 
of— darkness,"  Isaiah  xxix.  18.  "  Behold,  your  God  will  come, 
Uien  the  eyes  of  the  blind  shall  be  opened,"  Isaiah  xxxv.  4,  5. 

152 


7.   17,  18.1         THE  APOCALYPSE  EEVEALED.  211,  212 

"I  will  give  thee  for  a  light  of  the  Gentiles,  to  open  the  blind 
eyes,"  Isaiah  xlii.  6,  7.  ''  I  will  bring  the  Hind  by  a  way  that 
they  knew  not,  I  will  make  their  darkness  light,"  Isaiah  xlii.  16. 
"  Bring  forth  the  hlind  people  that  have  eyes,  and  the  deaf  that 
have  ears,"  Isaiah  xliii.  8,  "  His  watclunen  are  hlind, — and 
cannot  understand,"  Isaiah  Ivi.  10,  11.  ''  lie  hath  llinded  their 
eyes,  and  hardened  their  heart,  that  they  should  not  see  with 
their  eyes,  nor  understand  with  their  heart,"  John  xii.  40. 
"Jesus  said.  For  judgment  am  I  come  into  this  world,  that 
they  which  see  not  might  see,  and  that  they  Avhich  see,  might 
be  made  Nind,^^  John  ix.  39.  JBlind,  foolish,  infatuated  guides, 
Matt,  xxiii.  16,  17,  19,  21.  ''Blind,  leaders  of  the  Uind:'' 
Matt.  XV.  14 ;  Luke  vi.  39.  By  reason  of  the  signiiication  of 
blind  and  blindness,  it  was  forbid  to  ofier  for  sacrifice  any 
thing  that  was  Hind,  Levit.  xxi.  18 ;  Deut.  xv.  21.  That  they 
should  not  cast  a  stumbling-block  before  the  blind,  Levit.  xix.  14, 
That  he  was  cursed  who  made  the  blind  to  wander  out  of  the 
Avay,  Deut.  xxvii.  18.  Concerning  the  signification  of  naked 
and  nakedness,  see  below,  n.  213. 

211.  /  counsel  thee  to  buy  of  me  gold  tried  in  the  fire,  that 
thou  mayest  he  rich,  signifies  an  admonition  to  acquire  to  them- 
selves the  good  of  love  from  the  Lord  by  means  of  the  Word, 
that  they  may  become  wMse.  For  to  buy  signifies  to  acquire 
to  oneself ;  of  me,  signifies  of  the  Lord  by  the  Word ;  gold 
signifies  good,  and  gold  tried  in  the  fire,  the  good  of  celestial 
love ;  and  to  be  enriched  thereby,  signifies  to  become  intelli- 
gent and  wise.  Gold  signifies  good,  because  metals  in  their 
order  signify  such  things  as  are  of  good  and  truth,  gold  celestial 
and  sjjiritual  good,  silver  the  truth  of  those  goods,  brass  natural 
good,  and  iron  natural  truth.  These  are  signified  by  the  metals 
of  which  the  statue  of  Nebuchadnezzar  consisted,  whose  head 
was  of  gold,  his  breast  and  arms  of  silver,  his  belly  and  thighs 
of  brass,  his  legs  «Vwi,  his  feet  part  iron  and  part  clay,  Dan.  ii. 
32,  33 ;  by  which  are  represented  the  successive  states  of  the 
church  as  to  the  good  of  love  and  the  truth  of  wisdom.  From 
this  succession  of  the  states  of  the  church,  the  ancients  gave 
similar  names  to  times,  calling  them  ages  of  gold,  silver,  brass, 
and  iron,  and  by  the  golden  age  they  understood  the  earliest 
times,  when  the  good  of  celestial  love  prevailed ;  celestial  love 
is  the  love  of  the  Lord  from  the  Lord ;  from  this  love  they  at 
that  time  possessed  wisdom.  That  gold  signifies  the  good  of 
love  may  be  seen  below,  n.  913. 

212.  And  white  raiment,  that  thou  mayest  be  clothed,  sig- 
nifies that  they  should  acquire  to  themselves  genuine  truths  of 
wisdom.  That  raiment  or  garments  signify  truths  investing 
good,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  166,  and  that  white  is  spoken  of 
truths,  n.  167,  therefore  white  raiment  signifies  the  genuine 
truths  of  wisdom,  and  this,  because  gold  purified  in  the  fire 

153 


213  TKE    APOCALYPSE   KEVEALED.  [Cliap.  ill. 

sio:ijifies  the  ffood  of  ceiestia^  -ove,  the  truths  of  tliis  Icve  beins: 
o-ei)uine  truths  of  wisdoui. 

213.  Tliat  the  shame  of  thy  nakedness  may  not  appear^  sig- 
nifies lest  the  good  of  celestial  love  should  be  profaned  and  adul- 
terated, ]S^o  one  can  know  what  the  shame  of  nakedness  signiiies, 
unless  he  knows  that  the*members  of  generation  in  both  sexes, 
which  are  also  called  the  genitals,  correspond  to  celestial  love. 
That  tliei'e  is  a  correspondence  of  man  and  all  his  members  with 
the  heavens,  raaj  be  seen  in  the  work  concerning  Heaven  and 
Ilell^w.  87 — 102,  and  that  the  members  of  generation  correspond 
to  celestial  love,  in  The  Arcana  Coilestia,  n.  5050 — 5062.  As 
those  members  correspond  to  celestial  love,  which  is  the  love  of 
the  third  or  inmost  heaven,  and  man  is  born  from  his  parents  to 
loves  which  are  opposite  to  that  love,  it  is  evident,  that  if  he  does 
not  acquire  to  himself  the  good  of  love  and  the  truth  of  wisdom 
from  the  Lord,  signified  bj  gold  tried  in  the  fire,  and  white  rai- 
ment, he  will  api^ear  in  the  op2:)Osite  love,  which  is  profane.  This 
is  signified  by  uncovering  nakedness  and  revealing  shame,  in  the 
following  places  :  "  Blessed  is  he  that  watcheth,  and-keepeth  liis 
garments,  lest  he  walk  Qiaked,  and  thej  see  his  shanie^^^  Apoc. 
xvi.  15.  "  Sit  in  the  dust,  O  virgin  daughter  of  Babjdon — and 
of  the  Chaldeans, — uncover  thy  locks,  make  bare  the  leg,  uncover 
the  thigh,  pass  over  the  rivers,  thy  nakedness  shall  be  uncovered^ 
yea  thy  shame  sliall  be  seen,"  Isaiah  xlvii.  1,  2,  3.  "  Woe  to 
the  bloody  city, — because  of  the  multitude  of  its  whoredoms,  I 
will  discover  thy  skirts  upon  thy  face,  and  I  will  show  the  nations 
thy  nakedness,  and  the  kingdoms  ihj  shaine,''^  Nahum  iii.  1,  4,  5. 
"  Plead  with  your  mother — lest  I  strip  her  naked^''  Hosea  ii.  2,  3. 
When  I  passed  by  thee, — I  covered  thy  nakedness ;  then  I 
washed  thee, — and  clothed  thee,  but  thdu  didst  commit  wdiore- 
dom,  and  hast  not  remembered  thy  youth,  when  thou  wast  naked 
and  bare,  therefore  is  thy  nakedness  discovered,  Ezek.  xvi.  6,  and 
following  verses.  "  Jerusalem  hath  grievously  sinned,  therefore 
■ — all  despise  her  because  they  have  seen  her  nakedness,''^  Lament, 
i.  8.  By  Jerusalem,  of  whom  these  things  are  said,  is  understood 
the  church,  and  committing  whoredoms  signifies  to  adulterate 
and  falsify  the  Word,  n.  134.  "Woe  unto  him  that  giveth  his 
neighbour  drink,  and  maketli  him  drunken,  that  thou  niayest 
ook  on  their  nakedness  / — drink  thou  also,  and  let  thy  foreskin 
De  uncovered,"  Habak.  ii.  15,  16.  He  who  knows  M-hat  naked- 
ness signifies,  may  understand  what  is  signified  by  Noah's  lying 
drunken  with  wine,  and  naked,  in  the  midst  of  his  tent,  and 
that  Ham  saw  and  derided  his  nakedness  i  and  that  Shem  and 
Japhet  covered  his  nakedness,  turning  away  their  faces  that  they 
might  not  see  it,  Gen.  ix.  21, 22, 23 ;  also,  why  it  was  commanded 
that  Aaron  and  his  sons  should  not  ascend  by  steps  upon  the 
altar,  lest  their  nakedness  should  be  discovered,  Exod.  xx.  26 ; 
and  likewise,  that  they  should  "  make  them  linen  breeches,  to 
154 


V.  18,  19._]  THE  APOCALYPSE  kevea:j:d.  214: — 216 

cover  their  nakedness,"  and  that  they  should  "  be  upon  them 
Avhen  they  came  near  unto  the  altar,  and  that  otherwise  they 
would  bear  iniquity  and  die,"  Exod.  xxviii,  42,  43.  By  naked- 
ness, in  these  places,  are  signified  the  <;vils  to  which  man  is  born, 
which,  because  they  are  opposite  to  tlie  good  of  celestial  love, 
are  in  themselves  prolane,  and  are  not  removed  otherwise  than 
by  means  of  truths  and  a  life  conformable  to  tliem  ;  for  linen 
siguihes  truth,  n.  671.  By  nakedness  is  also  signified  innocence, 
and  likewise  ignorance  of  good  and  truth :  innocence,  in  tha 
following  passage :  "  And  they  were  both  naked,  the  man  and 
his  wife,  and  were  not  ashamed,"  Gen.  ii.  25.  Ignorance  of  good 
and  truth  in  this  :  "Is  not  this  the  fast  that  I  have  chosen?  Is 
it  not  to  deal  thy  bread  to  the  liun<rry, — and  when  thou  scest 
the  naked,  that  thou  cover  him?"  Isaiah  Iviii.  6,  7.  "Hath 
given  his  bread  to  the  hungry,  and  hath  covered  the  nalx:ed  with 
a  garment,"  Ezek.  xviii.  7.  "I  was  an  hungered,  and  ye  gave 
me  meat ;  I  was — naked,  and  ye  clothed  me,"  Matt.  xxv.  35,  36. 

214.  And  anoint  thine  eyes  with  eye-salve,  that  thou  may  est 
see,  signifies,  that  their  understanding  may  be  healed,  lest  the 
genuine  truths  of  wisdom  should  be  profaned  and  falsified.  That 
by  the  eyes  is  signified  the  understanding,  and  by  the  eye-sight 
intelligence  and  wisdom,  may  be  seen,  n.  48  ;  and  since  by  cye- 
Balve  a  medicine  for  the  same  is  signified,  it  follows  tluit  by 
"anoint  thine  eyes  wuth  eye-salve,"  is  signified  to  heal  the  un- 
derstanding, that  it  may  see  and  know  truths  and  advance 
thereby  in  wisdom  ;  for  unless  this  is  the  case,  the  genuine 
truths  of  the  AVord  are  profaned  and  adulterated. 

215.-  As  many  as  I  love,  I  rebuke  and  chasten,  signifies  that 
such  of  them  as  do  so  are  beloved  by  the  Lord,  and  that  then 
they  cannot  but  be  admitted  to  temptations  that  they  may  fight 
against  themselves.  That  this  is  the  sense  of  these  words,  is 
evident,  for  it  is  said,  "  As  many  as  I  love,"  by  whom  are  meant 
they  who  buy  of  the  Lord  gold  purified  in  the  fire,  and  who 
anoint  their  eyes  with  eye-salve  that  they  may  see :  it  is  said, 
"  I  rebuke  and  chasten"  them,  by  which  is  meant  temptation 
as  to  falses  and  evils;  by  rebuking,  tem])tation  as  to  falses,  and 
by  chastening,  temptation  as  to  evils.  Such  as  are  here  treated 
of,  could  not  but  be  led  into  temptations,  because,  without 
them,  negations  and  confirmations  against  divine  truths  could 
not  be  extirpated.  Temptations  are  spiritual  combats  against 
the  falses  and  evils  in  one's  self,  thus  against  one's  self:  what 
temptations  are,  whence  they  proceed,  and  what  good  they  pro- 
duce, see  tlie  work  concerning  The  New  Jerusalem  and  its 
Heavenly  Doctrine,  n.  187 — 2Ul. 

216.  Be  zealous,  therefore,  and  repent,  signifies  that  this 

should  be  done  from  the  anection  of  trutli,  and  aversion  of  what 

is  false.    It  is  here  said,  "  Be  zealous,"  because  it  was  said  above, 

verse  15,  "  I  would  thou  wert  either  cold  or  hot,"  here  hot,  for 

155 


217 — 219         THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALKD.        [Chap.  ill. 

zeal  is  spiritual  heat,  and  spiritual  heat  is  the  affection  of  love, 
in  this  case  the  affection  of  the  love  of  truth,  and  he  who  acts 
from  the  affection  of  the  love  of  truth,  acts  also  from  aversion  to 
what  is  false ;  therefore  this  is  signified  by  repent.  Zeal  in  the 
Word,  when  applied  to  the  Lord,  signifies  love,  and  wrath  ;  love, 
in  John  ii.  17 ;  Psalm  Ixix.  10 ;  Isaiah  xxxvii.  32 ;  Ixiii.  15 ;  Ezek. 
xxxix.  25  ;  Zech.  i.  14  ;  viii,  2.  Wrath,  in  Deut.  xxxii.  16,  21 ; 
Psalm  Ixxix.  5,  6  ;  Ezek.  viii.  18  ;  xxiii.  25  ;  Zeph.  i.  18  ;  iii.  8. 
But  zeal  in  the  Lord  is  not  wrath,  it  only  appears  so  in  externals  ; 
interiorly  it  is  love.  It  appears  so  in  externals,  because  the  Lord 
seems  to  be  angry  when  he  rebukes  man,  especially  when  man's 
own  evil  punishes  him.  It  is  so  permitted  out  of  love,  that  his 
evil  may  be  removed  ;  just  like  a  parent,  who,  if  he  loves  his 
children,  suffers  them  to  be  chastised  for  the  sake  of  removing 
their  evils.  Hence  it  is  evident,  why  Jehovah  calls  himself 
jealous,  Deut.  iv,  24;  v.  9,  10  ;  vi.  14,  15. 

217.  Behold^  I  stand  at  the  door,  and  knock,  signifies  that 
the  Lord  is  present  to  every  one  in  the  Word,  and  is  there  press- 
ing to  be  received,  and  teaches  how.  Something  similar  to  this 
is  said  by  the  Lord  in  Luke  :  "  Be  ye  like  unto  men  that  wait 
for  their  Lord,  when  he  will  return  from  the  wedding ;  that 
when  he  cometh  and  knocketh,  they  inay  open  unto  him  imme- 
diately,^^ xii.  36.  That  door  signifies  admission  and  entrance, 
may  be  seen  above,  n.  176. 

218.  If  any  man  hear  my  voice,  and  open  the  door,  signifiee 
he  who  believes  in  the  Word  and  lives  according  to  it.  To  hear 
his  voice  is  to  believe  in  the  Word,  for  the  divine  truth  of  the 
Word  is  the  voice  of  Jehovah,  n.  37,  50 ;  and  to  open  the  door 
is  to  live  according  to  it,  because  the  door  is  not  opened,  and  the 
Lord  received,  by  barely  hearing  his  voice,  but  by  living  accord- 
ing to  it,  for  the  Lord  says,  "  He  that  hath  my  commandments, 
and  keepeth  them,  I  will  manifest  myself  to  him,  and  we  will 
come  unto  him,  and  make  our  abode  with  him,"  John  xiv.  21 
• — 24.  That  man  ought  to  open  the  door  as  from  himself,  by 
shimning  evils  as  sins,  and  doing  good,  is  shown  in  The  Doctrine 
of  Life  for  the  New  Jerusalem  /  and  that  this  is  the  case,  is  also 
evident  from  the  Lord's  words  here,  "  If  any  man  open  ;"  as  also 
from  his  words  in  Luke  xii.  36. 

219.  I  will  come  in  to  him,  and  loill  sup  with  him,  and  he 
with  tne,  signifies  that  the  Lord  joins  himself  with  them  and 
them  with  himself.  To  come  in  and  sup  with  him,  signifies  to 
join  himself  to  him,  and,  since  there  must  be  reciprocation  that 
there  may  be  conjunction,  it  is  also  said,  "  and  he  with  me." 
That  to  be  conjoined  is  signified  by  coming  in  and  supping, 
appears  from  the  Holy  Supper  instituted  by  the  Lord,  by  means 
of  which  the  Lord's  presence  is  effected  with  those  who  hear  his 
voice,  that  is,  who  believe  in  the  Word,  but  his  conjunction  with 
those  who  live  according  to  the  Word  :  to  live  according  lio  the 

156 


V.  19 21.]       THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         220 222 

AVord  is  to  do  the  work  of  repentance,  and  to  believe  in  the 
Lord.  To  sup,  and  the  Lord's  supper,  are  mentioned,  because 
supper  takes  phice  in  the  evening,  and  by  the  evening  is  signi 
fied  the  last  time  of  the  church ;  therefore  when  the  Lord  de 
parted  out  of  the  world,  the  last  time  of  the  church  being  then 
arrived,  he  supped  with  his  disciples,  aiul  instituted  the  sacrament 
of  the  supper.  That  evening  signifieg  the  end  of  the  old  churchy 
and  morning  the  beginning  of  the  new,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  13 

220.  To  him  that  overcometJi,  signifies  such  as  are  in  con- 
junction with  the  Lord  by  a  life  conformable  to  his  lirecejits  in 
the  AVord,  as  is  evident  from  what  has  been  said  above. 

221.  Will  I  give  to  sit  with  rne  in  my  throne,  signifies  that 
they  will  have  conjunction  with  the  Lord  in  heaven.  That 
the  Lord's  throne  is  heaven,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  14,  there- 
fore to  sit  with  the  Lord  in  his  throne,  signifies  conjunction 
with  him  in  heaven. 

222.  Even  as  I  also  overcame^  and  am  set  down  with  my 
Father  iti  his  throne,  signifies  in  like  manner  as  he  and  the 
Father  are  one,  and  are  heaven.  That  the  Father  and  the  Lord 
are  one,  is  fully  shown  in  The  Doctrine  of  the  Neio  Jerusalem 
concerning  the  Lord,  and  elsewhere.  That  heaven  is  not  heaven 
from  any  property  of  the  angels,  but  from  the  divine  [principle] 
of  the  Lord,  which  is  in  the  angels  and  about  them,  therefore  by 
these  words,  in  like  manner  as  I  "  am  set  down  with  my  Father 
in  his  throne,"  is  signified  like  as  he  and  the  Father  are  one,  and 
are  heaven ;  throne  signifies  heaven,  n.  14,  221.  "  Even  as  I 
also  overcame,"  signifies  that  by  temptations  admitted  into  his 
human  nature,  and  by  the  last  of  them,  which  w^as  the  passion 
of  the  cross,  as  also  by  the  fulfilling  of  every  thing  in  the  Word,  he 
overcame  the  hells  and  glorified  his  Humanity,  that  is,  he  nnited 
it  to  the  Divinity  which  was  in  him  by  conception,  and  is  called 
Jehovah  the  Father,  on  which  subject  see  the  above  mentioned 
Doctrine  of  the  J^ew  Jerusalem  concerning  the  I^ord,  n.  8 — 11  ; 
n.  12 — 14;  n.  29 — 36,  and  also  above,  n.  67.  The  reason  why 
the  Lord  says,  "To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  give  to  sit  with 
me  in  my  throne,  even  as  I  also  overcame,  and  am  set  down  with 
my  Father  in  his  throne,"  is,  because  the  union  of  the  Lord  with 
the  Father,  that  is,  with  the  divinity  within  himself,  took  ])lace, 
to  the  end  that  it  might  be  possible  for  man  to  be  joined  to  the 
divinity  which  is  called  the  Father  in  the  Lord;  liocause  it  is 
impossible  for  man  to  have  conjunction  with  the  divinity  of  the 
Father  immediately,  but  only  mediately  through  his  Divine 
Humanity,  which  is  the  divine  natural  [principle]  ;  therefore  the 
Lord  says:  "No  man  hath  seen  God  at  any  time;  the  only-be- 
gotten Son,  which  is  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father,  he  hath  mani- 
fested him^''  John  i.  18  ;  and  in  another  place  :  "  I  am  the  way, 
the  tr\Lth,  and  the  life,  no  one  cometh  to  the  Father,  but  hy  W2e," 
John  xiv.  6.     The  Lord's  conjunction  with  man  is  by  means 

157 


223,  224  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  [Cliap.  iii. 

of  his  divine  truth,  and  this  in  man  is  of  the  Lord,  thus  the 
Lord,  ani  by  no  means  man's,  consequently  is  not  man:  man, 
indeed,  feels  it  as  his  own,  but  still  it  is  not  his,  for  it  is  not 
united  to  him,  but  adjoined  ;  not  so  the  Father's  divinity,  this 
is  not  adjoined  but  united  to  the  Lord's  Humanity,  as  the  soul 
is  to  its  body.  He  M'ho  understands  these  things,  may  under- 
stand the  following  words  of  the  Lord :  "  He  that  abideth  m 
me  and  I  in  him,  the  same  bringeth  forth  much  fruit,  for  witk 
out  me  ye  can  do  nothing,"  John  xv.  5.  "  At  that  day  ye  shall 
know  that  I  am  in  my  Father,  and  you  in  me,  and  I  in  you^'' 
John  xiv.  20  ;  and  these  :  "  Sanctify  them  through  thy  truth ; 
thy  Word  is  truth ;  for  their  sakes  I  sajictify  myself,  that  they 
also  might  be  sanctified  through  the  truth :  that  they  all  may 
be  one,  as  thou.  Father,  art  in  me,  and  I  in  thee,  that  they  also 
may  be  one  in  us  j  I  in  them  and  thou  in  we,"  John  xvii.  17, 
19,  21,  23. 

223.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Splint  saith 
unto  the  churches,  signifies  that  he  who  understands,  ought  to 
obey  what  the  divine  truth  of  the  Word  teaches  those  who  are 
to  be  of  the  New  Church,  which  is  the  New  Jerusalem,  as  above, 
n.  87. 

224.  To  this  I  shall  add  the  following  Memorable  Relation. 
I  saw  a  number  of  spirits  assembled,  all  upon  their  knees,  pray- 
ing to  God  to  send  his  angels,  that  they  might  converse  with 
them  face  to  face,  and  open  to  them  the  thoughts  of  their  hearts. 
And  when  they  arose,  there  appeared  three  angels  in  white  linen 
garments,  standing  before  them,  and  they  said.  The  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  has  heard  your  prayers,  and  has  therefore  sent  us  to  you  ; 
open  unto  us  the  thoughts  of  your  hearts.  And  they  answered,  "VVe 
have  been  told  by  our  priests,  that  in  matters  of  a  theological 
nature  the  understanding  avails  nothing,  but  only  faith,  and  that 
in  such  things  intellectual  faith  is  of  no  service  to  any  one,  be- 
cause it  is  derived  from  man.  We  are  Englishmen,  and  have 
heard  many  things  from  our  holy  priesthood,  which  we  believed  ; 
but  when  we  have  conversed  with  others,  who  also  called  them- 
selves the  reformed,  and  with  others  who  called  themselves  Ro- 
man Catholics,  and  likewise  with  sectaries,  they  all  appeared  to 
us  learned,  and  yet,  in  many  things,  one  did  not  agree  with  an- 
other, and  still  they  all  said,  "  Believe  us ;"  and  some  of  them, 
"  We  are  God's  ministers,  and  know."  ]3ut  as  we  know  that 
the  divine  truths,  which  are  called  truths  of  faith,  and  which 
Appertain  to  the  church,  are  not  derived  to  any  one  from  his 
native  soil,  nor  by  inheritance,  but  out  of  heaven  from  God; 
and  as  these  show  the  way  to  heaven,  and  enter  into  the  life 
together  with  the  good  of  charity,  and  so  lead  to  eternal  life,  we 
became  anxious,  and  prayed  to  God  upon  our  knees.  Then  an- 
swered the  angels.  Read  the  Word,  and  believe  in  the  Lord,  and 
you  will  see  the  truths  which  should  coiistitute  your  faith  and 

158 


I 


V.   21,  22.]        THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALFD.  224 

life  ;  for  all  in  the  Christian  Avorld  draw  their  doctrinals  from  the 
"Word  as  the  only  tountain.  But  two  of  the  company  said,  We 
have  read,  but  did  not  understand  ;  and  the  angels  replied.  You 
did  not  approach  the  Lord,  and  yim  have  besides  contirmed  your- 
selves infalses;  and  added,  What  is  taith  without  light,  and  what 
signifies  thinking  without  understanding?  there  is  nothing  hu- 
man in  it;  even  magpies  and  ravens  can  learn  to  speak  without 
nndci-standiug.  We  can  affirm  to  you,  that  every  man,  wlio-e 
soul  desires  it.,  i-^  capable  of  =eeijig  the  truths  of  the  Word  in 
tlie  light;  there  does  not  exist  an  animal  that  dues  not  know 
the  food  [iroper  to  its  life  when  it  sees  it,  and  man  is  a  rational 
and  spiritual  animal,  who  sees  the  food  of  his  life,  not  that  of 
liis  body,  b"ut  of  his  soul,  which  is  the  truth  of  faith,  provided 
indeed  he  hungers  after  it,  and  seeks  it  of  the  Lord  ;  whatsoever 
is  not  received  also  in  the  understanding,  is  not  fixed  in  the 
memory  in  reality,  but  only  verbally  ;  therefore,  when  we  have 
looked  down  out  of  heaven  in  the  world,  we  have  not  seen  any 
thing,  but  have  only  heard  sounds,  that  are  for  the  most  part 
dissonant.  But  we  will  enumerate  some  things  which  the 
learned  among  the  clergy  have  removed  from  the  understand- 
ing, not  knowing  that  there  are  two  ways  to  the  understanding, 
one  from  the  world,  and  the  other  from  heaven,  and  that  the 
Lord  withdraws  the  understanding  from  the  world  when  he 
illuminates  it ;  but  if  the  understanding  be  closed  by  religion, 
tlie  way  into  it  from  heaven  is  closed,  and  then  man  sees  no 
more  in  the  Word  than  a  blind  person :  we  have  seen  many 
such  fall  into  pits,  out  of  which  they  have  never  risen  again. 
Examples  must  serve  for  illustration :  are  you  not  able  to  un- 
derstand what  charity  is,  and  what  faith  is  ;  tliat  charity  consists 
in  doing  well  by  your  neighbour,  and  that  faith  consists  in 
thinking  well  of  God  and  of  the  essentials  of  the  church,  and 
therefore  that  he  who  does  well  and  thinks  well,  that  is,  who 
lives  well  and  believes  well,  will  be  saved?  They  replied,  that 
these  things  they  did  understand.  Then  said  the  angels.  Do 
you  not  understand,  that  repentance  from  sins  is  to  be  per- 
formed, in  order  that  man  may  be  saved,  and  that,  unless  a  man 
actually  repents,  he  abides  in  the  sins  into  which  ho  was  born, 
and  that  the  work  of  repentance  consists  in  not  willing  evils 
because  they  are  against  God,  and  in  examining  hiuiself  once 
or  twice  a  year,  in  seeing  his  evils,  in  confessing  them  before 
the  Lord,  imploring  assistance,  desisting  from  them,  and  leading 
a  new  life,  and  as  far  as  he  does  this,  and  believes  in  the  Lord, 
so  far  his  sins  are  remitted  ?  Then  some  of  the  company  re- 
plied. This  we  understand,  and  thence  also  what  remission  of 
sins  is.  And  then  they  solicited  the  angels  to  give  them  fur- 
ther information,  and  especially  concerning  God,  the  immor- 
tality of  the  soul,  regeneration,  and  baptism.  To  this  tlio 
angels  replied,  AVe  will  not  say  any  thing  but  what  you  can 
159 


224  THE    APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Cliap.  ill. 

understand,  else  our  discourse  will  fall  like  rain  upon  sand,  and 
upon  the  seed  therein,  which,  notwithstanding  its  being  watered 
from  heaven,  would  pine  and  perish.  Concerning  (jtod  they 
said.  All  who  come  into  heaven  have  their  place  allotted  them 
there,  and  thence  everlasting  ]oy,  according  to  their  idea  of 
God,  because  this  idea  reigns  universally  in  every  particular  of 
worship  ;  the  idea  of  an  invisible  God  is  not  determined  to  any 
god,  nor  does  it  terminate  in  any,  therefore  it  ceases  and  per- 
ishes ;  the  idea  of  God  as  a  spirit,  when  a  spirit  is  thought  of  as 
ether  or  air,  is  an  empty  idea ;  but  the  idea  of  God  as  a  man  is 
a  just  idea,  for  God  is  divine  love  and  divine  wisdom,  with 
every  quality  belonging  thereto,  and  the  subject  of  these  is 
man,  and  not  ether  or  wind.  The  idea  of  God  in  heaven  is  the 
idea  of  the  Lord,  he  being  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth,  as  he 
himself  taught ;  let  your  idea  of  God  be  like  unto  ours,  and  we 
shall  be  consociated  together.  On  saying  these  words,  their 
faces  became  resplendent.  Concerning  the  Immortality  of  the 
Soul,  they  said,  Man  lives  to  eternity,  because  he  is  capable  of 
being  conjoined  Avith  God  by  love  and  faith,  this  indeed  is  pos- 
sible with  every  one ;  that  this  possibility  constitutes  the  im- 
mortality of  the  soul  you  may  understand,  provided  you  think 
of  it  with  a  little  elevation  of  mind.  Concerning  Regenera- 
tion ;  who  does  not  see  that  every  one  is  at  liberty  to  think  of 
God,  or  not  to  think  of  him,  provided  he  be  instructed  that 
there  is  a  God  ;  so  that  every  one  has  liberty  in  spiritual  things, 
equally  as  in  things  civil  and  moral ;  the  Lord  gives  this  liberty 
to  all  continually ;  for  which  reason  he  becomes  guilty,  if  he 
does  not  think  of  God  ;  man  is  man  by  virtue  of  this  possibility  ; 
but  a  beast  is  a  beast  from  not  having  this  possibilit}^ ;  there- 
fore man  is  capable  of  reforming  and  regenerating  himself  as 
from  himself,  provided  he  acknowledges  in  his  heart  that  he 
does  it  from  the  Lord :  every  one  who  does  the  work  of  repent- 
ance, and  believes  in  the  Lord,  is  reformed  and  regenerated ; 
man  must  do  both  as  from  himself,  but  as  from  himself  is  from 
the  Lord.  It  is  true  that  man  cannot  contribute  any  thing 
thereto,  no  not  in  the  least,  nevertheless  you  were  not  created 
statues,  but  you  were  created  men,  that  you  might  do  that  from 
the  Lord  as  from  yourselves ;  this  is  the  only  reciprocation  of 
love  and  faith,  that  it  is  altogether  the  Lord's  will  that  it  should 
be  done  by  man  unto  him:  in  a  word,  do  it  from  yourselves, 
and  believe  that  you  do  it  from  the  Lord,  thus  do  it  as  from 
yourselves.  But  then  the  English  inquired,  Whether  to  act  as 
from  oneself,  is  a  faculty  implanted  in  man  from  creation  ? 
The  angel  answered,  It  is  not  implanted  or  inherent,  because  to 
act  from  himself  is  of  the  Lord  alone,  but  it  is  communicated 
continually,  that  is,  adjoined  continually,  and  then  so  far  as 
man  does  good  and  believes  what  is  true,  as  from  himself,  so  far 
he  is  an  angel  of  heaven ;  but  so  far  as  he  does  evil  and  thence 
160 


Chap,  iii.]  the  apocalypse  kevealed.  224 

believes  what  is  false,  which  is  done  also  as  from  himself,  so  far 
he  is  an  angel  of  hell :  that  this  also  is  as  from  himself  sur- 
prises you,  but  still  you  see  that  it  is  so,  when  you  pray  that  you 
may  be  preserved  from  the  devil,  lest  he  should  seduce  you,,  and 
enter  into  you,  as  he  did  into  Judas,  iill  you  with  all  iniquity, 
and  destroy  you,  soul  and  body.  But  every  one  incurs  guilt 
wiio  Ijelieves  that  he  acts  from  himself,  whether  it  be  good,  or 
whetlier  it  be  evil ;  but  he  does  not  incur  guilt,  who  believes 
that  he  acts  as  from  himself.  Concerning  Baptism,  they  said, 
That  it  is  spiritual  washing,  which  is  reformation  and  regenera- 
tion, and  that  an  infant  is  reformed  and  regenerated,  when,  on 
becoming  an  adult,  he  does  the  things  which  his  sponsors  prom- 
ised for  him,  which  are  two,  repentance  and  faith  in  God; 
for  in  the  first  place  they  promise  that  he  shall  renounce  the 
devil  and  all  his  works ;  and  secondly,  that  he  shall  believe  in 
God.  All  infants  in  heaven  are  initiated  into  these  two  things, 
but  with  them  the  devil  is  hell,  and  God  is  the  Lord  :  inoreover 
baptism  is  a  sign  before  tho  angels  that  a  man  is  of  the  church. 
On  hearing  these  things,  some  of  the  assembly  said.  This  we 
understand.  But  a  voice  wns  heard  from  one  side,  exclaiming, 
AV^e  do  not  understand  ;  and  another  voice.  We  will  not  under- 
stand ;  and  inquiry  was  made  from  whence  these  voices  pro- 
ceeded, and  it  was  found  that  they  came  from  those  who  had 
confirmed  themselves  in  falsea  of  faith,  and  who  wanted  to  bo 
believed  as  oracles,  and  thus  to  be  adored.  Upon  which  tho 
angels  said,  Be  not  surprised :  there  are  a  great  many  such  ai 
this  day ;  they  appear  to  us  from  heaven  like  images,  made 
with  so  much  art  as  to  be  able  to  move  tht^ir  lips,  and  uttei 
sounds  like  orpins,  but  without  knowing  whether  the  breath,  by 
means  of  which  they  utter  these  sounds,  comes  from  iiell  or  from 
heaven,  because  they  do  not  know  whether  a  thing  l>e  false  or 
true  ;  they  reason  over  and  over  again  ;  they  confirm  over  and 
over  again  without  ever  seeing  whether  it  is  so.  But  know, 
that  human  ingenuity  can  confirm  whatsoever  it  pleases,  so  that 
it  shall  appear  to  be  really  true,  therefore  heretics  and  impious 
persons  can  do  this,  yea  atheists  can  prove  that  there  is  no  God, 
but  only  nature.  Afterwards  tho  assembly  of  Englishmen, 
being  warmed  with  the  desire  of  acquiring  wisdom,  said  to  the 
angels.  So  many  difi:erent  sentiment'^  are  entertained  of  the 
Holy  Supper,  tell  us  what  is  tho  trntti?  The  angels  replied, 
The  truth  is  that  the  man  who  looks  to  the  Lord  and  performs 
repentance,  is  conjoined  with  the  Loril  by  means  of  tliat  most 
holy  rite,  and  introduced  into  heaven.     Cut  some  of  the  com- 

fany  said,  TJjis  is  a  mystery.     To  wln.'^.h  the  angels  replied, 
t  is  a  mystery,  but  nevertheless  it  is  such  a  one  as  may  be  un- 
derstood.    The  bread  and  wine  do  not  produce  this  elfect,  for 
there  is  nothing  holy  in  them,  but  material  bread  and  heavenly 
bread  correspond  mutually  to  each  other,  and  so  do  material 
161  I. 


THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Cliap.  iv. 

wine  and  heavenly  Avine,  and  heavenly  bread  is  the  holy  [prin- 
ciple] of  love,  and  heavenly  wine  is  the  holy  [principle]  of 
faith,  both  from  the  Lord,  and  both  the  Lord  ;  thence  there  is  a 
conjnnction  of  the  Lord  with  man,  and  of  man  with  the  Lord, 
not  with  the  bread  and  wine,  but  with  the  love  and  faith  of  the 
man  who  had  done  the  work  of  repentance;  and  conjnnction 
with  the  Lord  is  also  introduction  into  heaven.  And  after  the 
angels  had  given  them  some  instruction  concerning  corre- 
spondence and  its  effects,  some  of  the  company  said,  Now  for 
the  first  time  do  we  understand.  And  when  they  said,  We 
understand,  behold  a  flame-coloured  band,  descending  with 
light  from  heaven,  consociated  them  with  the  angels,  and  tlieir 
k>ve  for  one  another  was  mutual. 


CHAPTER  iY. 


1.  After  this  I  looked,  and  behold  a  door  opened  in  hea- 
ven. And  the  first  voice  which  I  heard,  as  it  were  of  a  trum- 
pet talking  with  me,  said,  Come  up  hither,  and  I  will  show 
thee  things  which  must  be  hereafter. 

2.  And  immediately  I  was  in  the  spirit.  And,  behold,  a 
throne  was  set  in  heaven,  and  one  sat  on  the  throne. 

3.  And  he  that  sat  was  to  look  upon  like  a  jasper  and  a 
sardine  stone  ;  and  there  was  a  rainbow  round  about  the  throne 
in  sight  like  unto  an  emerald. 

4.  And  round  about  the  throne  were  four-and-twenty 
thrones;  and  upon  the  thrones  I  saw  four-and-twenty  elders 
sitting,  clothed  in  white  raiment ;  and  they  had  on  tlieir  heads 
crowns  of  gold. 

5.  And  out  of  the  throne  proceeded  lightnings,  and  thun- 
derings,  and  voices :  and  there  were  seven  lamps  of  fire  burn- 
ing before  the  throne,  which  are  the  seven  spirits  of  God. 

6.  And  before  the  throne  there  was  a  sea  of  glass  like  unto 
crystal :  and  in  the  midst  of  the  throne  and  round  about  the 
throne,  were  four  animals  full  of  eyes  before  and  behind. 

7.  And  the  first  animal  was  like  a  lion,  and  the  second 
animal  like  a  calf,  and  the  third  animal  had  a  face  as  a  man, 
and  the  fourth  animal  was  like  a  flying  eagle. 

8.  And  the  four  animals  had  each  of  them  six  wings  abrut 
him;  and  they  were  full  of  eyes  within;  and  they  rest  not  day 
and  night,  saying.  Holy,  holy,  holy.  Lord  God  Almighty,  who 
was,  and  who  is,  and  who  is  to  come. 

9.  And  when  the  animals  give  glory,  and  honour,  and  thanks 
to  Him  that  sat  on  the  throne,  who  liveth  for  ever  and  ever, 

10.  The  four-and-twentv  elders  fall  down  before  Him  that 
162 


Chap,  iv.]        THE  APOCALYl'SE  REVKALEP. 

sat  on  the  tlirone,  and  worsliip  IHm  that  livetli  for  ever  and 
ever,  and  cast  their  crowns  before  the  throne,  sayin^:, 

11.  Thou  art  worthy,  O  Lord,  to  receive  glory,  and  liononr, 
aRd  power,  for  thou  liast  created  all  things,  and  bv  thy  will 
they  are  au.d  were  created. 


THE  SPIRITUAL  SENSE. 


The  Contexts  of  the  whole  Chapter.  Tlie  subject  treated 
ot  is  concerning  the  ordination  and  preparation  of  all  tilings  in 
heaven  for  judgment,  to  be  executed  from,  and  according  to, 
the  Word  ;  likewise  concerning  the  acknowledgment,  that  the 
Lord  is  the  only  judge. 

The  Contents  of  each  Vicrse.  v.  1,  "After  this  I  looked, 
and  behold  a  door  opened  in  heaven,"  signifies  a  manifestation 
of  the  ordination  of  the  heavens  preparatory  to  the  last  judg- 
ment from  the  Lord,  about  to  be  performed  according  to  his 
divine  truths  in  the  Word  :  "And  the  iirst  voice  which  I  heard, 
as  it  were  of  a  trumpet  talking  with  me,  said,  Come  up 
hither,"  signifies  divine  influx,  and  thence  an  elevation  of  the 
mind,  followed  by  manifest  perception:  "And I  will  show  thee 
things  which  must  be  hereafter,"  signifies  revelations  of  things 
to  come  before  the  last  judgment,  and  at  it,  and  after  it :  v,  2, 
"And  immediately  I  was  in  the  spirit,"  signifies  that  he  was 
let  into  -d  spiritual  state,  in  which  the  things  which  exist  in 
heaven  manifestly  appear:  "And,  behold,  a  throne  was  set  in 
heaven,"  signifies  a  representation  of  judgment:  "And  one 
■at  on  the  throne,"  signifies  the  Lord  :  v,  3,  "And  he  tliat  sat 
M'as  to  look  upon  like  a  jasper  and  a  sardine  stone,"  signifies 
the  appearance  of  the  Lord's  divine  wisdom  and  divine  love  in 
ultimates :  "  And  there  was  a  rainbow  round  about  the  throne 
in  sight  like  unto  an  emerald,"  signifies  the  appearance  of  the 
same  also  round  about  the  Lord :  v.  4,  "  And  round  about  the 
tlirono  were  four-and-twenty  thrones,  and  upon  the  thrones 
1  saw  four-and-twenty  elders  sitting,"  signifies  the  ordination 
of  all  things  in  heaven  preparatory  to  the  judgment :  "  Clothed 
in  wliite  raiment,"  signifies  from  the  divine  truth  of  the  Word: 
"And  they  had  on  their  heads  crowns  of  gold,"  signifies  the 
things  which  are  of  wisdom  derived  from  love:  v.  5,  "And  out 
of  the  throne  proceeded  lightnings,  and  thunderings,  and 
voices,"  signifies  illumination,  perception,  and  instruction  from 
the  Lord:  "  Aiul  there  were  seven  lamps  of  fire  burning  before 
the  throne,  which  are  the  seven  spirits  of  God,"  signifies  a  new 
heaven  from  among  Christians  :  v.  6,  "And  l)efore  the  throne 
tliere  was  a  sea  of  glass  like  unto  crystal,"  signifies  the  new 
163 


225  THE  APOCALYPSE  KEYEALED.        [Chap.  iv. 

heaven  composed  of  Christians,  who  are  in  general  truths, 
derived  from  the  literal  sense  of  the  AYord  :  "  And  in  the 
midst  of  the  throne,  and  round  about  the  throne,  there  were 
four  animals,"  signifies  the  Word  of  God  from  its  fii-st  princi- 
ples to  its  ultimates,  and  its  defences  :  "Full  of  eyes  before  and 
behind,"  signifies  the  divine  wisdom  therein  :  v.  T,  "  And  the 
first  animal  was  like  a  lion,"  simiifies  the  divine  truth  of  the 
Word  as  to  its  power:  "And  the  second  animal  like  a  calf," 
signifies  the  divine  truth  of  the  Word  as  to  aftection :  "And 
the  third  animal  had  a  face  as  a  man,"  signifies  the  divine  truth 
of  the  Word  as  to  its  wisdom  :  "And  the  fourth  animal  was  like 
a  flying  eagle,"  signifies  the  divine  truth  of  the  Word  as  to  know- 
ledge and  thence  understanding :  v.  8,  "  And  the  four  animals 
had  each  of  them  six  wings  about  him,"  simifies  the  Word  as 
to  its  powers  and  as  to  its  defences  :  "And  they  were  full  of 
eyes  within,"  signifies  the  divine  wisdom  in  the  AVord  in  its 
natural  sense,  derived  from  its  spiritual  and  celestial  sense : 
"And  they  rest  not  day  and  night,  saying.  Holy,  holy,  holy, 
Lord  God  Almighty,"  signifies  that  the  Word  continually 
teaches  of  the  Lord,  and  that  he  is  the  only  God,  and  thence 
that  he  alone  is  to  be  worshipped  :  "Who  was,  and  who  is,  and 
who  is  to  come,"  signifies  the  Lord :  v.  9,  "  And  when  the 
animals  give  glory,  and  lionour,  and  thanks  to  him  that  sat  on 
the  throne,"  signifies  that  the  Word  ascribes  all  truth,  and  all 
good,  and  all  worship  to  the  Lord  the  judge  :  "Who  liveth  for 
ever  and  ever,"  signifies  that  the  Lord  alone  is  life,  and  that 
life  eternal  is  from  him  alone :  v.  10,  "  The  four-and-twenty 
elders  fall  down  before  him  that  sat  on  tlie  throne,  and  worship 
him  that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever,"  signifies  the  humiliation  of 
all  in  heaven  before  the  Lord  :  "And  cast  their  crowns  before 
the  throne,"  signifies  an  acknowledgment  that  their  wisdom  is 
from  him  alone :  v.  11,  "  Saying,  Thou  art  worthy,  O  Lord, 
to  receive  glory,  and  honour,  and  power,"  signifies  that  tlie 
kingdom  is  the  Lord's  by  merit  and  justice,  because  he  is  the 
divine  truth  and  the  divine  good:  "For  thou  hast  created  all 
things,  and  by  thy  will  they  are,  and  were  created,"  signifies 
that  all  things  of  heaven  and  the  church  were  made  and  formed, 
and  men  reformed  and  regenerated  from  the  Lord's  divine  love 
by  liis  divine  wisdom,  or  from  his  divine  good  by  his  divine 
truth,  which  also  is  the  Word. 


THE  EXPLANATION. 


225.  After  this  I  looked,  and   hehold  a  door   opened  in 
heaven,  signifies  a  manifestation  of  the  ordination  of  the  hea- 
vens preparatory  to  the  last  judgment  from  the  Lord,  about 
164 


V.  1,  2. J  THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.         226 228 

to  be  performed  according  to  his  divine  truths  in  the  "Word. 
Bv  an  open  door,  -vvlien  it  rcUites  to  heaven,  is  signified  admis- 
sion, as  ahove,  n.  176  ;  liere,  also,  manifestation,  because  he 
piivs,  "I  looked  and  behold  ;"  and  because  then  were  seen  the 
things  which  are  recorded  in  this  chapter,  which  refer  to  the 
ordination  of  the  heavens  ])reparatorj  to  the  last  judgment, 
about  to  be  performed  from  the  Lord  according  to  his  divine 
truths  in  the  Word,  therefu-e  by  "  I  looked,  and  behold  a  door 
opened  in  heaven,"  is  signified  a  manifestation  concerning  them. 

226.  Arid  the  first  voice  xoMch  I  heard,  as  it  were  of  a 
trumpet  tailing  iv'ith  me,  said,  Come  up  hither,  signifies  divine 
influx,  and  thence  an  elevation  of  the  mind,  followed  by  mani- 
fest perception.  That  a  voice,  when  heard  from  heaven,  is 
influent  divine  truth,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  37,  50,  thus  divine 
influx  ;  and  that  by  a  voice  as  it  were  of  a  trumpet,  is  signified 
manifest  perception,  may  also  be  seen  above,  n.  37  ;  and  by 
"  Come  up  hither,"  is  signified  elevation  of  the  mind  ;  for  in 
the  spiritual  world,  the  higher  any  one  ascends  so  much  the 
more  does  he  come  into  purer  light,  by  Avhich  the  understand- 
ing is  gradually  opened,  that  is,  the  mind  is  elevated ;  therefore 
it  also  follows,  that  he  was  then  in  the  spirit,  by  which  is  meant 
that  he  was  let  into  a  spiritual  state,  in  which  the  things  which 
are  in  the  heavens  manifestly  appear.  The  voice  was  iieard  as 
it  were  a  trumpet,  because  the  subject  treated  of  is  the  ordina- 
tion of  the  heavens  preparatory  to  the  last  judgment ;  and  voices 
as  of  a  trumpet  are  heard  in  heaven,  wdien  convocations  and 
ordinations  take  place ;  therefore  among  the  children  of  Israel 
with  whom  all  things  were  representative  of  heaven  and  the 
church,  it  was  also  commanded.  That  they  should  make  trum- 
pets of  silver,  and  that  the  sons  of  Aaron  should  blow  with 
them  for  the  calling  of  assemblies,  and  for  the  journeying  of  the 
camps,  in  days  of  rejoiciiig,  in  festivals,  in  the  beginnings  of 
months,  over  bui'nt  offerings,  for  a  memorial,  and  going  to  war, 
Numb.  X.  1 — 11.  But  we  shall  speak  of  trumpets,  and  of  sound- 
ing them,  in  the  explanation  of  chap,  viii.,  where  the  seven 
angels  are  mentioned,  to  whom  were  given  seven  trumpets. 

227.  And  I  will  show  thee  things  which  must  be  hereafter^ 
signifies  revelations  of  things  to  come  before  the  last  judgment, 
and  at  it,  and  after  it.  These  things  are  signified,  because  in 
the  Apocalypse  nothing  else  is  treated  of  but  the  state  of  the 
church  at  its  end,  thus  the  things  to  come  to  pass  before  the 
last  judgment,  and  at  it,  and  after  it,  as  above  explained,  n.  2. 

228.  And  immediately  I  was  in  the  sjnrit,  signifies  that  he 
was  let  into  a  spiritual  state,  in  which  the  things  which  exist  in 
heaven  manifestly  appear.  That  to  be  in  the  spirit  is  to  be  let 
into  a  spiritual  state  by  divine  influx,  as  also  what  the  nature 
of  a  spiritual  state  is,  and  that  a  man  in  that  state  sees  as  mani- 
festly the  things  which  are  in  the  spiritual  world,  as  in  the 

165 


229 231         THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.        [Chup.  iv. 

natural  state  of  the  body  he  sees  the  things  which  are  in  this 
world,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  36, 

229.  And,  hehold,  a  throne  was  set,  signifies  a  representation 
of  judgment.  That  a  throne  signifies  heaven  may  be  seen, 
n.  14  ;  that  a  throne  also  signifies  judgment,  is  evident  from 
the  following  places :  "  When  the  Son  of  Man  shall  come  in  his 
glory,  and  all  the  holy  angels  with  him,  then  shall  he  sit  on  the 
throne  of  his  glory,"  Matt.  xxv.  31,  and  following  verses; 
where  the  last  judgment  is  treated  of.  Jehovah,  "  thou  hast 
maintained  my  cause, — thou  sattest  in  the  throne  judging  right. 
Jehovah  hath  prepared  his  throne  for  judgment,"  Psalm  ix.  4, 7. 
"I  beheld, — and  the  Ancient  of  Days  did  sit, — his  throne  was 
like  the  fier}--  flame, — thousand  thousands  ministered  unto  him, 
and  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand  stood  before  him  ;  tlie 
judgment  was  set,  and  the  books  were  opened,"  Dan.  vii.  9,  10. 
"  Jerusalem  is  builded  as  a  city, — whither  the  tribes  go  up — for 
there  sit  thrones  of  judgment,"  Psalm  cxxii.  3 — 5.  "I  saw 
thrones,  and  they  sat  upon  them,  and  judgment  was  given  nnto 
them,"  Apoc.  xx.  4.  The  throne  built  by  Solomon,  of  which 
mention  is  made,  1  Kings  x.  18 — 20,  signified  both  royalty 
and  judgment,  because  kings,  when  they  executed  judgment,  sat 
upon  tlirones.  It  is  said  that  a  throne  signifies  a  representation 
of  judgment,  because  the  tilings  which  John  saw  were  visions 
which  represented ;  they  were  seen  as  he  has  described  them, 
but  they  were  forms  representative  of  things  to  come,  as  may 
appear  from  what  follows ;  as  that  there  were  seen  animals,  a 
dragon,  a  beast,  a  temple,  a  tabernacle,  an  ark,  and  many  other 
things.  Similar  were  the  things  seen  by  the  prophets,  which 
are  mentioned  above,  n.  36. 

230.  And  one  sat  on  the  throne,  signifies  the  Lord,  as  ap- 
pears manifestly  from  what  follows,  and  from  passages  in  the 
\Yord  where  it  is  said  that  the  Lord  will  execute  judgment,  as 
in  Matt.  xxv.  32,  33,  and  following  verses ;  John  v.  22,  27;  and 
elsewhere. 

231.  And  he  that  sat  was  to  look  upon  like  a  jasper  and 
sardine  stone,  signifies  the  appearance  of  the  Lord's  divine 
wisdom  and  divine  love  in  ultimates.  A  stone,  in  the  "Word, 
signifies  truth  in  nltiraates,  and  a  precious  stone,  truth  trans- 
parent from  good,  n.  915.  There  are  two  colours  fundamental 
of  the  rest  in  the  spiritual  world,  red  and  white;  white  derives 
its  origin  from  the  light  of  the  sun  in  heaven,  thus  from  spir- 
itual bght,  which  is  white  ;  and  red  derives  its  origin  from  the 
fire  of  the  sun  there,  thus  from  celestial  light,  which  is  flame- 
coloured.  The  spiritual  angels,  being  in  truths  of  wisdom  from 
the  Lord,  are  in  that  white  light,  therefore  they  are  clothed  in 
white  ;  and  the  celestial  angets,  being  in  the  good  of  love  from 
the  Lord,  are  in  that  flame-coloured  light,  therefore  they  are 
clothed  in  red ;  thence  those  two  colours  obtain  also  in  precious 

166 


V.  2 i.]         THE  A.POC-VLYPSE  KEVEALED.  232,  233 

stones  in  heaven,  where  they  are  in  great  abundance.  Tliis  is 
the  reason  why  precious  stones,  in  the  AVord,  signify  sucli  tilings 
as  are  of  tlie  trutii  of  wisdom,  or  of  the  good  of  love,  and  that 
a  jasper,  because  it  is  white,  signifies  the  things  which  are  of 
the  truth  of  wisdom,  and  a  sardine  stone,  because  it  is  red,  the 
things  which  ai'e  of  the  good  of  love.  These  stones  signify  the 
appearance  of  the  divine  wisdom  and  the  divine  love  inultimates, 
because  all  precious  stones  in  heaven  derive  their  origin  from  the 
ultimates  of  the  Word,  and  their  transparency  from  the  spir- 
itual sense  within  those  ultimates :  that  this  is  the  case,  may 
be  seen  in  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the 
Sacred  ScrijAure,  n.  44,  45.  The  ultimates  of  the  Word  are 
the  truths  and  goods  of  its  literal  sense.  That  this  is  the  origin 
of  precious  stones  in  heaven  is  difficult  to  be  believed  by  any 
one  in  our  world,  because  he  does  not  know  that  all  the  things 
which  exist  in  the  spiritual  world  are  correspondences,  and  that 
from  thence  all  the  things  which  exist  in  the  natural  world 
derive  their  spiritual  origin.  That  this  is  the  origin  of  precious 
L»-ones  in  heaven  has  been  permitted  me  to  know  from  discourse 
with  angels,  and  also  to  see  it  with  my  eyes,  but  the  formation 
of  them  is  from  the  Lord  alone.  But  black  colours,  which  are 
also  two  in  number,  derive  their  origin  from  hell;  one  in  oppo- 
sition to  white,  this  blackness  being  with  those  who  have  falsi- 
Hed  the  truths  of  the  Word  ;  the  other  in  o])position  to  red, 
this  blackness  being  with  those  wlio  have  adulterated  the  good 
of  the  A¥ord  ;  the  latter  blackness  is  diabolical,  but  the  former 
satanical.  The  signilication  of  the  jasper  and  sardine  stone  may 
be  seen  in  the  explanation  of  chap.  xxi.  11,  18 — 20. 

232.  And  there  was  a  7'ainbow  roimd  about  the  throne  in 
sight  like  unto  an  emerald,  signifies  the  appearance  of  the  same 
also  round  about  the  Lord.  In  the  spiritual  world  there  appear 
rainbows  of  many  kinds,  some  of  various  colours,  as  upon  earth, 
and  some  of  one  colour  only ;'  here  of  one  colour  only,  because 
it  is  said  like  unto  an  emerald.  This  appearance  was  round 
about  the  Lord,  because  it  is  said  round  about  the  throne  ; 
round  about  him  is  also  in  the  heaven  of  angels.  The  divine 
sphere  which  surrounds  the  Lord  is  from  his  divine  love,  and  at 
the  same  time  from  his  divine  wisdom,  which,  when  it  is  repre- 
sented in  the  heavens,  appears  in  the  celestial  kingdom  red  like 
a  ruby,  in  the  si)iritual  kingdom  blue  like  the  lazule  stone,_in 
the  natural  kingdom  green  like  the  emerald ;  everywhere  with 
ineffable  splendour  and  effulgence. 

233.  And  round  about  the  throne  were  four-and-twenty 
thrones,  and  upon  the  thrones  I  saw  four-and  twenty  elders  sit- 
ting, signifies  the  ordination  of  all  things  in  heaven  prepara- 
tory to  the  last  judgment.  He  who  is  ignorant  of  the  spiritual 
sense  of  the  Word,  and  at  the  same  time  of  the  genuine  truths  of 
the  church,  may  suppose,  that  when  the  last  ji.dgmcnt  takes 

167 


234,  235  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.        [Chap,  iv 

place,  the  Lord  will  sit  upon  a  throne,  and  that  there  will  be 
other  judges  also  upon  thrones  around  him  ;  but  he  who  is  ac- 
quainted with  the  spiritual  sense  of  the  Word,  and  at  the  same 
time  with  the  genuine  truths  of  the  church,  knows  that  tlie 
Lord  will  not  sit  upon  a  throne,  and  that  neither  will  there  be 
other  judges  about  him  ;  and  further,  that  neither  will  the  Lord 
judge  any  one  to  hell,  but  that  the  AVord  will  judge  every  one, 
the  Lord  himself  directing  that  all  things  shall  be  done  accord- 
ing to  justice  ;  the  Lord  says,  indeed,  "The  Y ather  juclgeth  no 
man,  but  hath  committed  all  judgme7it  unto  the  Son, — and  hath 
given  him  authority  to  exeoute  judgment,  because  he  is  the  Son 
of  Man,"  John  v.  22,  27;  but  in  another  place  he  says,  "I 
came  not  to  judge  the  w^orld,  but  to  save  the  world  ;  the  Wot'd 
that  I  have  spoken,  the  same  shall  judge  him  in  the  last  day," 
John  xii.  47,  48  :  these  two  passages  agree,  wdien  it  is  known 
that  the  Son  of  Man  is  the  Lord  as  to  the  Word,  see  above,  n. 
44  ;  therefore  the  Word  will  judge,  under  the  Lord's  direction. 
That  by  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel  and  their  elders  are  signified 
all  who  are  of  the  Lord's  church  in  the  heavens  and  upon  the 
earths,  and,  abstractedly,  all  the  truths  and  goods  therein,  may 
be  seen,  n.  251,  349,  369,  808;  and  the  same  by  the  apostles,  n. 
79,  790,  903  ;  hence  it  is  plain  what  is  signified  by  these  words 
of  the  Lord  :  "  Jesus  said  unto  his  disciples, — ye  which  have 
followed  me,' — when  the  Son  of  Man  shall  sit  in  the  throne  of 
liis  glory,  ye  also  shall  sit  upon  twelve  thrones  judging  the 
twelve  tribes  of  Israel,"  Matt.  xix.  28  ;  Luke  xxii.  30.  Twelve 
signifies  all,  and  is  predicated  of  the  truths  and  goods  of  heaven 
and  the  church,  n.  348;  the  same  is  signified  by  twenty-four; 
therefore  the  twelve  apostles  and  the  twenty-four  elders  signify 
all  things  of  the  church  ;  and  twelve,  as  also  four-and-twenty 
thrones,  signify  the  all  of  judgment.  Who  cannot  understand, 
that  the  apostles  and  elders  will  not  judge ;  and  that  neither 
are  they  able  ?  From  these  considerations  it  may  appear  why 
thrones  and  elders  are  mentioned  when  the  judgment  is  treated 
of;  as  also  in  Isaiah  :  "  Jehovah  will  enter  into  judgment  with 
the  ancients  of  his  people,"  iii.  14.  In  David:  "Jerusalem  is 
builded  as  a  city, — w^liither  the  tribes  go  up, — for  there  are  set 
thrones  oi  judgment ^^  Psalm  cxxii.  3,  4,  5.  And  in  the  Apo- 
calypse :  "  I  saw  thrones,  and  they  sat  upon  them,  and  judg- 
ment was  given  unto  them,"  xx.  4. 

234.  Clothed  in  white  raiment,  signifies  from  the  divine 
truth  of  the  Word.  That  white  garments  signify  genuine  truths 
of  the  Word,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  166,  212. 

235.  And  they  had  on  their  heads  croivns  of  gold,  signifies 
such  things  as  are  of  wisdom  derived  from  love.  That  a  crown 
signifies  wisdom,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  189;  and  that  gold  sig- 
nifies the  good  of  love,  n.  211,  913  ;  hence  a  crown  of  gold  sig- 
nifies wisdom  derived  from  love.     As  from  this  wisdom  are 

168 


V.  4,  5.]  THE  ArOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.  236,  237 

derived  all  the  things  of  heaven  and  the  ehurch,  ■\vhicn  are  sig- 
nified by  the  Ibur-and-twenty  elders,  n.  233  ;  therefore  crowns 
of  gold  Avere  seen  upon  their  heads.  It  is  to  be  observed,  that 
the  spiritnal  sense  is  here  abstracted  from  persons,  as  well  as 
above,  n.  78,  79,  96. 

236.  And  out  of  the  throne  proceeded  lightnings,  and  thun- 
derings,  and  voices,  signifies  illumination,  perception,  and  in* 
strnction  from  the  Lord.  Lightnings,  by  reason  of  the  flash 
which  strikes  tlie  eyes,  signify  illumination,  and  thunderings,  by 
reason  of  the  noise  which  afi'ects  the  ears,  signify  perception,  and 
when  these  two  signify  illumination  and  perception,  then  voices 
signify  instruction.  These  were  seen  to  proceed  from  the  throne, 
because  they  proceed  from  the  Son  of  Man,  or  tlie  Lord  as  the 
Word,  and  from  the  Lord  through  the  Word  comes  all  illumi- 
nation, perception,  and  instruction.  Lightnings,  thunderings, 
and  voices,  have  a  similar  signification  in  other  parts  of  the 
AVord,  as  in  these  places :  "Thou  hast  with  thine  arm  redeemed 
thy  people, — the  skies  sent  out  a  sound,  the  voice  of  thy  thunder 
was  in  the  heavens,  the  lightnings  lightened  tlie  world,"  Psalm 
Ixxvii.  15, 17,  18.  "  Tlie  lighinings  of  Jehovah  enligldened  the 
world,"  Psalm  xcvii.  3,  4.  "Thou  calledst  in  trouble,  and  I 
delivered  thee,  I  answered  thee  in  the  secret  place  of  thunder^ 
Psalm  Ixxxi.  7.  "I  heard  as  it  were  the  voice  of  a  great  mul- 
titude, and  the  voice  of  mighty  thunderings,  saying,  Ilalleluia ; 
for  the  Lord  God  Omnipotent  reigneth,"  Apoc.  xix.  6.  As  by 
lightnings,  and  thunderings,  and  voices,  are  signified  illumi- 
nation, perception,  and  instruction,  therefore  when  Jehovah 
descended  upon  Mount  Sinai,  and  promulgated  the  laAV,  there 
were  lightnings  and  voices,  Exod.  xix.  16.  And  when  there 
came  to  the  Lord  a  voice  out  of  heaven,  it  was  heard  as  thunder, 
John  xii.  28,  29.  And  because  James  and  Jolm  represented 
charity  and  its  works,  and  from  these  is  derived  all  ])erception 
of  what  is  true  and  good,  they  were  called  by  the  Lord,  Boa- 
nerges, that  is.  Sons  of  Thunder,  Mark  iii.  17.  Hence  it  is  evi- 
dent, that  lightnings,  thunderings,  and  voices,  have  a  similar 
signification  in  the  following  passages  in  the  Apocalypse :  I 
heard  one  of  the  four  animals,  "as  it  were  a  voice  of  thunder^'' 
vi.  1.  "I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven,  as  the  voice  of  a  great 
thunder^''  xiv.  2.  When  the  angel  cast  the  censer  upon  the 
earth,  "  there  were  voices,  and  thunderings,  and  lightnings^^ 
viii.  5.  When  the  angel  cried,  "  seven  thunders  uttered  their 
voices,"  x.  3,  4.  When  the  temple  of  God  was  opened  in  heaven, 
"there  were  lightnings,  and  voices,  and  thunderings^''  xi.  19: 
and  the  same  in  other  places. 

237.  And  there  were  seven  lamps  of  fire  burning  hefore  th& 
throne,  which  are  the  seven  spirits  <^  God,  signifies  a  new  lieaven 
from  the  Lord  through  the  divine  truth  proceeding  from  him. 
Here  bv  seven  lamps  the  same  is  signified  as  by  the  seven 

169 


238  THE    APOCALYPSE   KEVEALED.  [Cliap.  iv 

candlesticks,,  and  also  by  tlie  seven  stars  above.  That  by  the 
seven  candlesticks  is  meant  a  new  church  upon  earth,  which 
will  be  in  illumination  from  the  Lord,  may  be  seen  above,  n. 
43,  and  by  the  seven  stars,  a  new  church  in  the  heavens,  n. 
65  ;  and  whereas  the  church  is  a  church  from  the  divine  [prin- 
ciple] which  proceeds  from  the  Lord,  which  is  divine  truth, 
and  is  called  the  Holy  Spirit,  therefore  it  is  said,  which  are  the 
seven  spirits  of  God.  That  by  the  seven  spirits  of  God  is  signi- 
fied that  proceeding  divine  [principle],  may  be  seen  above,  n. 
14,  155. 

238.  Aoid  hefore  the  throne  there  was  a  sea  of  glass  UJce  unto 
crystal^  signifies  the  new  heaven  composed  of  Christians  who 
are  in  general  truths  derived  from  the  literal  sense  of  the  Word. 
In  the  spiritual  world  there  appear  atmospheres,  and  also  waters, 
like  as  in  our  world ;  the  atmospheres,  in  which  the  angels  of 
the  supreme  heaven  dwell,  are  as  it  were  eth(;real ;  the  atmos- 
pheres, in  which  the  angels  of  the  middle  heaven  dwell,  are  as 
it  were  aerial;  and  the  atmospheres,  in  which  the  angels  of  the 
ultimate  heaven  dwell,  are  as  it  were  aqueous  or  watery ;  and 
these  last  are  the  seas  which  ajjpear  at  the  boundaries  of  heaven, 
where  they  dwell  who  are  in  the  truths  of  a  general  kind  de- 
rived from  the  literal  sense  of  the  Word.  That  waters  signify 
truths,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  50 ;  hence  the  sea,  in  which 
waters  terminate  and  are  collected,  signifies  divine  truth  in  its 
boundaries.  Since,  therefore,  by  Him  that  sat  on  the  throne  is 
understood  the  Lord,  n.  230,  and  by  the  seven  lamps,  which 
are  the  seven  spirits  of  God  before  the  throne,  is  understood 
the  New  Church,  which  will  be  in  divine  truth  from  the  Lord, 
n.  237,  it  is  evident  that,  by  the  sea  of  glass  which  was  before 
the  throne,  is  understood  the  church  among  those  who  are  at 
the  boundaries.  It  has  also  been  permitted  me  to  see  the  seas 
which  bound  the  heavens,  and  to  converse  with  those  who  were 
therein,  and  thus  to  know  the  truth  of  this  matter  from  expe- 
rience ;  they  seemed  to  me  to  be  in  the  sea,  but  they  said  that 
they  were  not  in  the  sea,  but  in  an  atmosphere ;  from  which  it 
was  manifest  to  me,  that  the  sea  is  an  appearance  of  the  divine 
proceeding  from  the  Lord  in  its  boundaries.  That  there  are 
Beas  in  the  spiritual  world,  is  fully  evident  from  their  having 
been  seen  by  John  frequently,  as  well  here  as  in  chap.  v.  13 ; 
vii.  1 — 3;  viii.  8,  9;  x.  2,  8 ;  xii.  12  ;  xiii.  1  ;  xiv.  7;  xv.  2; 
xvi.  3;  xviii.  17,  19,  21;  xx.  13.  It  is  described  as  a  sea  of 
glass  like  unto  crystal,  from  the  lucidity  of  the  divine  truth  pro- 
ceeding from  the  Lord.  Because  divine  truth  at  its  boundaries 
causes  the  appearance  of  a  sea  in  the  spiritual  world,  therefore 
sea,  in  other  parts  of  the  Word,  has  a  similar  signification,  as  in 
these  places:  "And  it  shall  be  in  that  day,  that  living  waters 
shall  go  out  from  Jerusalem,  half  of  them  toward  the  former 
sca^  and  half  of  them  toward  the  hinder  sea,"  Zech.  xiv.  8. 

170 


V.  5,  C]  THE    ArOCALYl'SE   EEVEALED,  239 

Living  waters  from  Jerusalem,  are  divine  truths  of  the  churcli 
from  the  Lord,  therefore  the  sea  is  where  they  terminate.    ''Thy 
way,  [()  Jehovah,]  is  in  the  sea,  and  thy  })ath  in  the  great 
waters,''^  Psahn  Lxxvii.  10.    "Thus  saith  Jeliovah,  wliicli  maketli 
a  way  in  the  sea,  and  a  path  in  the  ')iil<jJit>j  ivaters,^^  Isaiah  xliii. 
16.     Jehovah  Juith  hiiJ  the  foundations  of  the  world  ''upon 
the  seas,  and  established  it  u[)()n  the  jioods,^''  Psalm  xxiv.  2. 
Jehovah  hath  "  hiid  the  foundations  of  the  earth  that  it  should 
not  be  removed  for  ever.     Thou  coveredst  it  with  the  deej)  [or 
fed]  as  with  a  garment,"  Psalm  civ.  6,  G.     The  foundations  of 
the  earth  being  laid  upon  the   sea,  denotes  tliat  the  church, 
wliich  is  meant  by  the  earth,  is  founded  upou  common  or  gen- 
eral truths;   for  these  are  its  bases  and  foundations.     "Audi 
will  dry  up  the  sea  [of  Babylon]  and  nud<e  her  springs  dry, — • 
she  is  covered  with  the  multitude  of  the  loaves,''''  Jerem.  li.  36, 
42.     Drying  up  the  sea  of  Babylon  and  making  her  springs 
dry,  signifies  to  extinguish  every  truth  of  its  church  from  first 
principles  to  last.     "  They  shall  M-alk  after  Jehovah,  then  the 
children  shall  tremble /v'cwi  the  sea,^^  Hosea  xi.  10.     Children 
from  the  sea  are  they  who  are  in  general  or  ultimate  truths. 
"  Jehovah  who  buildeth  his  stories  in  the  heavens, — and  calleth 
for  the  waters  of  the  sea,  and  poureth  them  out  u])on  the  face 
of  the  earth,"  Amos  ix.  6.     "By  the  Word  of  Jehovah  were 
the  heavens  made, — he  gathereth  the  waters  of  the  sea  together 
as  a  heap,  he  layeth  up  the  depths  in  storehouses,"  Psalm  xxxiii. 
6,  7.     "  At  my  rebuke  I  dry  up  the  sea,  I  make  the  rivers  a 
wilderness,"  Isaiah  1.  2:  besides  other  places.     As  by  sea  i8 
signified  divine  truth  with  those  who  are  in  the  borders  of  hea- 
ven, therefore  by  Tyre  and  Zidon,  from  their  being  by  the  sea- 
side, is  signified  the  church  as  to  the  knowledges  of  things  good 
and  true ;  and  also  by  the  isles  of  the  sea  are  signified  those 
who  are  in  a  more  remote  kind  of  divine  worshi]),  n.  34 :  and 
therefore  tlie  sea,  in  the  Hebrew  language,  is  called  the  west, 
that  is,  where  the  light  of  the  sun  declines  towards  evening,  or 
truth  into  obscurity.     Tluit  sea  also  signifies  tiie  natural  de- 
gree of  man  separated  from  the  spiritual,  thus  also  hell,  will 
be  seen  in  what  follows. 

230.  And  in  the  midst  of  the  throne  and  round  about  the 
throne,  tJiere  were  four  animals,  signifies  the  Word  of  God 
from  its  first  principles  to  its  ultimates,  and  its  defences,  I  am 
well  aware  it  will  be  thought  surprising,  that  it  should  be  said, 
the  four  animals  signify  the  Word ;  that  this  is  their  signification, 
will  however  be  seen  in  what  follows.  These  animals  ai'c  the 
same  as  the  cherubs  in  Ezekiel,  where  they  are  also  called  ani- 
mals in  chap,  i.,  but  cherubs  in  chaj).  x.,  and  wei"e,  in  like  man- 
ner as  here,  a  lion,  an  ox,  a  man,  ami  an  eagle.  In  the  Hebrew 
hinguage  they  are  there  called  cliajoth,  a  word  which  indeed 
signifies  animals,  but  is  derived  from  chaja,  which  signifies  life. 
171 


239  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.        [Chap.  iv. 

•whence  also  the  wife  of  Adam  was  called  Chaja,  Gen.  iii.  20  ; 
animal  in  the  singular  number  is  also  called  chaja  in  Ezekiel, 
therefore  those  animals  may  also  be  called  liviuo;  [creatures]. 
Neither  is  there  any  thing  extraordinary  in  the  Word's  being 
described  by  animals,  since  the  Lord  himself  in  many  parts  of 
the  Word  is  called  a  lion,  and  very  often  a  lamb,  and  they  who 
are  in  charity  from  the  Lord  are  called  sheep ;  and  the  under- 
standing also  of  the  Word,  in  what  follows,  is  called  a  horse. 
That  the  Word  is  signified  by  these  animals  or  cherubs,  is  evi- 
dent from  this  consideration,  that  they  were  seen  in  the  midst 
of  the  throne  and  round  about  the  throne,  and  in  the  midst  of 
the  throne  was  the  Lord,  and,  as  the  Lord  is  the  Word,  they 
could  not  be  seen  anywhere  else ;  that  they  were  round  about 
the  throne  also,  was,  because  this  denotes  the  angelic  heaven, 
where  also  the  Word  is.  Tliat  by  cherubs  is  signified  the  Word, 
and  its  defence  or  guard,  is  shown  in  The  Doctrine  of  the  Mew 
Jerusalem  concerning  the  Sacred  Scripture^  n.  97,  where  are  the 
following  words:  "The  literal  sense  of  the  Word  serves  as  a 
defence  for  the  genuine  truths  which  lie  within  ;  and  the  de- 
fence consists  in  this,  that  the  literal  sense  can  be  turned  this 
way  and  that,  or,  in  other  words,  can  be  explained  according  to 
Qvery  one's  apprehension,  without  its  internal  being  hurt  or 
violated  ;  for  no  harm  ensues  from  the  literal  sense  being  under- 
stood differently  by  different  people  ;  but  the  danger  is,  when 
the  divine  truths  which  are  within  are  perverted,  for  it  is  l3y  this 
that  the  Word  suffers  violence.  To  prevent  this,  the  literal 
sense  keeps  guard  as  it  were,  and  serves  indeed  as  a  protection 
with  those  wlio  are  in  falses  from  religion,  but  yet  do  not  con- 
firm them,  for  from  these  the  Word  suffers  no  violence.  This 
defence  is  signified  by  cherubs,  and  is  also  described  by  them  in 
the  Word.  This  defence  is  signified  by  the  cherubs,  which, 
after  the  expulsion  of  Adam  and  his  wife  from  the  gardon  of 
Eden,  w^ere  placed  at  its  entrance  ;  concerning  which  we  read, 
wlien  Jehovah  God  had  driven  out  the  man,  "  he  placed  at  the 
east  of  the  garden  of  Eden  cherubvms^  and  a  flaming  sword, 
which  turned  every  way,  to  keep  the  way  of  the  tree  of  life," 
Gen.  iii.  23,  24.  By  cherubims  is  signified  defence;  by  the 
wav  of  the  tree  of  life  is  signified  admission  to  the  Lord,  which 
is  given  to  men  through  the  AVord  ;  by  a  flaming  sword  which 
turned  every  way,  is  signified  divine  truth  in  ultimates,  wdiich  is 
as  the  Word  in  its  literal  sense,  that  allows  of  being  turned  this 
way  and  that.  The  same  is  understood  by  the  cherxibims  made 
of  gold  over  the  two  extremities  of  the  mercy-seat,  which  was 
above  the  ark  in  the  tabernacle,  Exod.  xxv.  18 — 21 ;  because 
this  was  signified  by  cherubims,  therefore  Jehovah  talked  from 
between  them  with  Moses,  Exod.  xxv.  22;  xxxvi.  9  ;  Numb.  vii. 
8,  9.  Nor  was  any  thing  else  understood  by  the  cherubims  over 
the  curtains  of  the  tabernacle,  and  over  the  vail,  Exod.  xxvi 
172 


r.  G.]  THE  Al'OCALYPSE  KEVEALED.  9-39 

81 ;  for  the  curtains  and  vail  of  the  tabernacle  represented  the 
ultiniates  of  heaven  and  the  church,  thus  also  the  nltimates  of 
tlie  AV'ord.  The  same  is  signilied  l)y  the  cheriibiins  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  tem])le  of  Jerusalem,  1  Kini^s  vi.  22,  28  ;  and  by  the 
chcruhims  carved  upon  the  walls  and  doors  of  the  tem])le,  1 
Kino;s  vi.  29,  32,  35;  and  also  by  the  clierubims  in  the  new 
temple,  Ezek.  xli,  18 — 20.  Since  by  cherubims  was  siOTified 
defence,  to  secure  the  Lord,  heaven,  and  the  divine  truth  such 
as  it  is  interiorly  in  the  "Word,  from  being  approached  imme- 
diately, but  only  mediately  by  nltimates,  therefore  it  is  said 
of  the  king  of  Tyre,  "  Thou  sealest  up  the  sum,  full  of  wisdom 
and  perfect  in  beauty.  Thou  hast  been  in  Eden,  tlie  garden  of 
God  ;  every  precious  stone  was  thy  covering  ;  tliou  art  the 
anointed  cherub  that  covereth  ;  and  1  will  destroy  thee,  O  cover- 
ing cheriib^  from  tlie  midst  of  the  stones  of  lire,"  Ezek.  xxviii. 
12 — 14,  16.  By  Tyre  is  signiiied  the  church  as  to  the  know- 
ledges of  truth  and  good,  and  thence,  by  its  king,  the  Word 
where  those  knowledges  are,  and  from  whence  they  are  derived. 
That  the  AVord  in  its  ultimate,  which  is  its  literal  s.ense,  is  here 
signified  by  the  king  of  Tyre,  and  its  defence,  by  the  cherub, 
is  evident,  for  it  is  said,  ''  Thou  sealest  up  the  sum,"  "  every 
precious  stone  was  thy  covering,"  and,  "  tliou  art  the  anointed 
clierub  that  covereth ;"  by  the  precious  stones  which  are  also 
mentioned  there,  are  signified  the  truths  of  the  literal  sense  of 
the  Word,  n.  231.  Because  by  cherubims  is  signified  divine 
truth  in  its  nltimates  as  a  defence,  therefore  it  is  written  in  the 
Psalms  of  David,  "  Give  ear,  O  Shepherd  of  Israel, — thou  that 
dwellest  between  the  cherubims^  shine  forth,"  Ixxx.  1.  "  Jeho- 
vah sitteth  between  the  cheruhivis^''  xcix.  1.  "Jehovah  bowed 
the  heavens  and  came  down,  and  rode  upon  a  chcriib^''  xviii. 
10,  11.  To  ride  upon  cherubs,  to  sit  upon  them,  and  sit  be- 
tween them,  means  upon  the  ultimate  sense  of  the  Word.  The 
divine  truth  in  the  Word,  and  its  quality,  is  described  by  the 
cherubims  in  Ezekiel,  in  chap.  i.  ix.  x.,  and  as  no  one  can  know 
what  the  particulars  by  which  they  are  described  signify,  with- 
out having  the  spiritual  sense  unfolded  to  him,  thercfoi'o,  as  it 
has  been  discovered  to  me,  I  will  explain,  in  a  summary  way, 
the  signification  of  those  things  which  are  related  concerning 
the  four  animals  or  cherubims  in  the  first  chapter  of  Ezekiel ; 
which  is  as  follows :  "  Tlie  divine  external  sphere  of  the  Word 
is  described,  verse  4.  It  is  represented  as  a  man,  verse  5. 
Its  conjunction  with  things  spiritual  and  celestial,  verse  6. 
The  natural  sense  of  the  Word,  its  quality,  verse  7.  The  con- 
junction of  the  spiritual  and  celestial  senses  of  the  Word  with 
the  natm-al,  its  quality,  verse  8,  9.  The  divine  love  of  celestial, 
spiritual,  and  natural  good  and  truth  therein  contained,  jointly 
and  severally,  verse  10,  11.  That  they  regard  one  end,  verso 
12.  The  sphere  of  the  Word  from  the  Lord's  divine  good  and 
173 


24:0,  241  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         [Ch.lp.  It. 

divine  truth,  from  wliicli  the  TVord  lives,  verse  13,  14.  Tlie 
doctrine  of  goodness  and  truth  in  the  Word  and  from  the 
Word,  verse  15 — 21.  The  divinity  of  the  Lord  above  it  and  in 
it,  verse  22,  23.  And  out  of  it,  verse  21,  25.  That  the  Lord  is 
above  the  heavens,  verse  26.  That  divine  love  and  divine  wis- 
dom are  his,  verse  27,  28.  This  is  a  summary  exj^osition  of 
the  above  chapter." 

210.  Full  of  eyes  before  and  hehind^  signifies  the  divine 
vrisdom  therein.  By  eyes,  when  spoken  of  man,  is  signified 
the  understanding,  and  when  of  the  Lord,  the  divine  wisdom, 
n.  48, 125  ;  the  same  when  said  of  the  Word,  as  in  tliis  instance, 
because  the  Word  is  from  the  Lord  and  concerning  the  Lord, 
and  thus  is  the  Lord.  The  like  is  said  of  the  cherubims  in 
Ezekiel,  that  they  wevefidl  of  eyes,  x.  12.  Before  and  behind, 
when  it  relates  to  the  Word  from  the  Lord,  signifies  the  divine 
wisdom  and  divine  love  therein. 

241.  Afid  the  jirst  animal  was  like  a  lion,  signifies  the 
divine  truth  of  the  Word  as  to  its  power.  That  a  lion  signifies 
truth  in  its  power,  here  the  divine  truth  of  the  Word  as  to  its 
jiower,  may  appear  from  tlie  power  of  the  lion  above  every 
other  beast  of  the  earth,  as  also  from  lions  in  the  spiritual  world, 
where  they  are  images  representative  of  the  power  of  divine 
truth  ;  and  likewise  from  the  Word,  where  they  signify  divine 
truth  in  its  power.  What  the  power  of  the  divine  truth  in  the 
Word  is,  may  be  seen  in  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem 
concerning  the  Sacred  Scrijpture,  n.  49,  and  in  the  work  on 
Heaven  and  Hell,  n.  228 — 233.  Hence  it  is  that  Jehovah  or 
the  Lord  is  compared  to  a  lion,  and  is  also  called  a  lion  ;  as  for 
instance :  "  The  Lion  hath  roared,  who  will  not  fear?  the  Lord 
Jehovah  hath  spoken,  who  can  but  prophesy?"  Amos  iii.  8. 
"  I  will  not  return  to  destroy  Ephraim,  they  shall  walk  after 
Jehovah  :  he  shall  roar  as  a  lion,^^  Hosea  xi.  9,  10.  "  Like  as 
the  lion  and  the  youvg  lion  roaring,  so  shall  Jehovah  of  Hosts 
come  down  to  fight  for  Mount  Zion,"  Isaiah  xxxi.  4.  "  Behold, 
the  Lio7i  of  the  tribe  of  Judah  hath  prevailed,  the  Boot  of 
David,"  Apoc.  v.  5.  "  Judah  is  a  lion''s  whelp,  he  stooped 
down,  he  couched  as  an  old  lion,  who  shall  rouse  him  up?" 
Gen.  xlix.  9.  In  these  places  the  power  of  divine  truth,  as 
derived  from  the  Lord,  is  described  as  a  lion.  To  roar  signifies 
to  speak  and  act  from  power  against  the  hells,  which  are  desi- 
rous to  carry  man  away,  but  from  which  the  Lord  snatches  him, 
as  a  lion  dees  his  prey  ;  to  stoop  or  bend  himself,  is  to  put  him- 
self in  power ;  Judah,  in  a  supreme  sense,  signifies  the  Lord, 
n.  96,  266.  The  angel  "  cried  Avith  a  loud  voice  as  when  a  lio7i 
roareth,"  Apoc.  x.  3.  "  He  couched,  he  lay  down  as  a  great 
Uo7i^v:ho  shall  stir  him  up?"  Numb.  xxiv.  9.  "Behold,  the 
people  shall  rise  up  as  a  great  lion,  and  lift  up  himself  as  a 
young  lion, ^''  Numb,  xxiii.  23,  24;  speaking  of  Israel,  by  which 
174 


V.  6,  7.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  242 

is  signified  the  cliiircli,  'svhosc  power,  fis  consisting  in  divine 
trntlis,  is  tlins  described.  In  like  manner:  "And  the  remnant 
of  Jacob  sliall  he  in  the  midst  of  many  people  as  a  lion  among 
the  beasts  of  the  forest,  as  a  young  lion  among  the  flocks  of 
sheep,"  Micah  v.  7,  8:  besides  many  other  places  ;  as  Isaiah  xi. 
6;  xxi.  6— -9;  xxxv.  9;  Jerem.  ii.  15;  iv.  7;  v.  6;  xii.  8;  1.  17; 
li.  38 ;  Ezek.  xix.  3,  5,  6;  Hosea  xiii.  7,  8  ;  Joel  i.  6,  7;  Nahnm 
•i.  12;  Psalm  xvii.  12;  Psalm  xxii.  13;  Psalm  Ivii.  4;  Psalm 
Iviii.  6;  Psalm  xci.  13;  Psalm  civ.  21,  22;  Dent,  xxxiii.  20. 

212.  And  the  second  animal  liJce  a  ealf,  signifies  the  divine 
truth  of  the  "Word  as  to  affection.  By  the  beasts  of  the  earth 
ire  signified  the  various  natural  affections,  for  such  indeed  they 
ire ;  and  by  a  calf  is  signified  the  affection  of  knowing ;  in  the 
spiritual  world  this  affection  is  represented  by  a  calf,  therefore 
«t  is  also  signified  by  a  calf  in  the  Word,  as  in  Ilosea :  AVe  will 
render  unto  Jehovah  the  "  calves  oj"  our  lij)s,^^  xiv.  2.  Calves 
of  the  lips  are  confessions  from  the  affection  of  truth.  In 
Malachi :  "  But  unto  you  that  fear  my  name,  shall  the  Sun  of 
Kighteousness  arise,  with  healing  in  his  wings,  and  ye  shall  go 
forth  and  grow  up  as  calves  of  the  stall,"  iv.  2.  They  are  com- 
pared to  calves  of  the  stall,  or  fatted  calves,  because  by  them 
are  signified  those  who  are  filled  with  the  knowledges  of  things 
true  and  good  from  the  affection  of  knowing  them.  In  David: 
The  voice  of  Jehovah  maketh  the  cedars  of  Lebanon  "  to  skip 
like  a  calf,^^  xxix.  6.  By  the  cedars  of  Lebanon  are  signified 
the  knowledges  of  truth ;  hence  it  is  said  that  the  voice  of  Je- 
hovah makes  ?hem  to  skip  like  a  calf:  the  voice  of  Jehovah  is 
divine  truth,  here  affecting  them.  The  Egyptians  being  fond 
of  the  sciences,  they  made  to  themselves  calves  as  a  sign  of 
their  affection  for  them  ;  but  after  they  began  to  worship  calves 
as  gods,  then  they  came  to  signify,  in  the  AVord,  the  affections 
of  knowing  falses ;  as  in  Jerera.  xlvi.  20,  21 ;  Psalm  Ixviii.  30; 
and  in  other  places:  therefore  the  same  is  signified  by  the  calf 
which  the  children  of  Israel  made  in  the  wilderness,  Exod. 
xxxii.,  as  also  by  the  calves  of  Samaria,  1  Kings  xii.  28 — 32 ; 
Ilosea  viii.  5 ;  x.  5 ;  therefore  it  is  said  in  Ilosea:  They  make 
tiiem  a  molten  image  of  silver,  sacrificing  man,  they  "  kiss  the 
calves"  xiii.  2.  To  make  them  a  molten  image  of  silver  sig- 
nifies to  falsify  truth,  to  sacrifice  man  signifies  to  destroy  Avis- 
dom,  and  to  kiss  calves  signifies  to  acknowledge  falses  from 
afiection.  In  Isaiah  :  "  There  shall  the  calf  feed,  and  there 
shall  he  lie  down  and  consume  the  branches  thereof,"  xxvii. 
10.  The  same  is  signified  by  calf  in  Jerem.  xxxiv.  18,  19. 
Since  all  divine  worship  is  from  the  affections  of  truth  and 
good,  and  thence  from  the  knowledge  of  them,  therefore  sacri- 
fices, in  which  the  worship  of  the  church  among  the  children 
of  Israel  chiefly  consisted,  were  made  of  various  beasts,  such  as 
lanibs,  goats,  kids,  sheep,  he-goats,  calves,  oxen ;  calves  were 
175 


243,  2-4-i  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Cliap.  IV. 

offered,  because  tliey  signified  the  affection  of  knowing  things 
true  and  good,  wliich  is  the  lirst  natural  affection.  This  is  what 
was  signihed  by  sacrifices  of  calves,  Exod.  xxix.  11,  12  ;  Levit. 
iv.  3,  13,  and  following  verses ;  viii.  14,  and  following  verses;  ix. 
2  ;  xvi.  3  ;  xxiii.  18  iISTumb.  vii.  15,  and  following  verses  ;  xv. 

24 ,  xxviii.  19,  20 ;  Judges  vi.  25—29 ;  1  Sam.  i.  25  ;  xvi.  2 ; 
1  Kings  xviii.  23 — 26,  33.  The  second  animal  appeared  like  a 
calf,  lx,'cause  the  divine  truth  of  the  Word,  which  is  signified 
bj  it,  affects  men's  minds,  and  thus  instructs  and  imbues. 

243.  And  the  third  atiimal  had  a  face  as  a  man,  signifies 
the  divine  truth  of  the  Word  as  to  its  wisdom.  By  man,  in 
the  Word,  is  signified  wisdom,  because  he  is  born  that  he  may 
receive  wisdom  from  the  Lord,  and  become  an  angel ;  therefore 
in  proportion  as  any  one  is  w4se,  in  the  same  proportion  he  is  a 
man.  Wisdom,  truly  human,  consists  in  knowing  that  there  is 
a  God,  wliat  God  is,  and  what  is  of  God ;  this  the  divine  truth 
of  the  Word  teaches.  That  by  man  is  signified  wisdom,  is  plain 
from  the  following  places :  "  I  will  make  ma7i  more  precious 
than  fine  gold ;  even  a  77ian  than  the  gold  wedge  of  Ophir," 
Isaiah  xiii.  12.  Man  [vir  homo]  in  the  first  instance,  means 
intelligence,  and  man  [homo]  in  the  second  means  wisdom. 
"  The  inhabitants  of  the  earth  are  burned,  and  few  inen  left," 
Isaiah  xxiv.  6.  "  I  will  sow  the  house  of  Israel  and  the  house 
of  Judah  with  the  seed  of  man  and  with  the  seed  of  beast," 
Jerem.  xxxi.  27.  "  And  ye,  my  flock,  are  men,  and  I  am  your 
God,"  Ezek.  xxxi  v.  31.  "  The  waste  cities  shall  be  filled  with 
the  flocks  of  m'3?i,^^  Ezek.  xxxvi.  38.  "  I  beheld  the  earth,  and 
lo,  it  was  without  form  and  void ;  and  the  heavens,  and  they 
had  no  light;  I  beheld,  and  lo,  there  was  no  man,'"  Jerem.  iv.  23, 

25.  ''  Let  the  me?i  that  sacrifice  kiss  the  calves,"  Hosea  xiii.  2. 
The  wall  of  the  holy  Jerusalem  measured  "  one  hundred  and 
forty-four  cubits,  the  measure  of  a  7nan,  that  is  of  the  angel" 
Apoc.  xxi,  17 :  besides  many  other  places,  in  which  by  man  is 
signified  one  that  is  M'ise,  and,  in  an  abstract  sense,  wisdom. 

244.  And  the  fourth  animal  was  like  a  flying  eagle,  signifies 
the  divine  truth  of  the  Word  as  to  knowledge,  and  thence  un- 
derstanding. By  eagles  various  things  are  signified,  and  by 
flying  eagles  are  signified  knowledges  from  which  understand- 
ing is  derived,  because  when  they  fly  they  both  see  and  have  a 
cognizance  of  things;  for  they  have  sharp  and  penetrating  eyes, 
and  by  eyes  are  signified  the  understanding,  n.  48,  214:  by  fly- 
ing is  signified  to  perceive  and  instruct,  and,  in  the  supreme 
sense,  in  which  it  has  relation  to  the  Lord,  it  signifies  to  foresee 
and  provide.  That  eagles,  in  the  Word,  have  such  a  significa- 
tion, appears  from  these  places  ;  ''They  that  wait  for  Jehovah 
shall  renew  their  strength  ;  they  shall  mount  up  with  wings  as 
eagles,"  Isaiah  xl.  31.  To  mount  up  wdth  wings  as  eagles,  is  to 
be  elevated  into  knowledges  of  truth  and  goodness  and  thence 

176 


V.  7,  8.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.  245 

into  intelligence.  "  Doth  the  eagle  mount  up  at  thy  command, 
and  make  her  nest  on  high,  from  thence  she  seeketli  tlio  prey, 
and  her  eyes  behold  afar  off,''  Jo^  xxxix.  20,  29.  The  faculty 
of  knowing,  understanding,  and  providing,  is  here  described  by 
the  eagle,  and  that  this  is  not  derived  from  man's  own  intelli- 
gence. "  Jehovah  wdio  satistieth  thy  mouth  with  good  things 
so  that  thy  youth  is  renewed  like  the  eagles^''  Psalm  ciii.  5.  To 
fill  the  mouth  with  good,  is  to  give  understanding  by  means  of 
knowledges;  hence  a  comparison  is  made  with  the  eagle.  "A 
great  eagh\  with  great  win^s,  long-winged,  full  of  feathers — • 
came  unto  Lebanc>n,  and  took  the  highest  branch  of  the  cedar ; 
and  it  was  planted  in  a  fruitful  field,  and  it  grew  ;  and  there 
was  also  another  great  eagle^  to  which  the  vine  did  bend  its 
roots,"  Ezek.  xvii.  1 — 8.  Here  by  two  eagles  are  described 
the  Jewish  and  Israelitish  churches,  both  as  to  the  knowledges 
of  truth  and  consequent  intelligence.  But  eagles  in  an  opposite 
sense  signify  knowledges  of  what  is  false,  v/hereby  the  under- 
standing is  perverted,  as  in  Matt.  xxiv.  28  ;  Jercm.  iv.  13 ; 
Habak.  i.  8,  9  ;  and  other  places. 

215.  And  the  four  ai\imals  had  each  of  them  six  loingfi  about 
him^  signifies  the  AVord  as  to  its  powers  and  as  to  its  defences. 
That  by  the  four  animals  the  Word  is  signified,  was  shown  above ; 
that  by  wings  are  signified  powers,  and  also  defences,  will  bo 
seen  below.  By  six  is  signified  all  as  to  truth  and  good,  for  six 
is  composed  of  three  and  two  multiplied  by  each  other,  and  by 
three  is  sigjiified  all  as  to  truth,  n.  505,  and  by  two  all  as  to 
good,  n.  7t)2.  By  wings  are  signified  powers,  because  by  them 
birds  lift  themselves  up,  and  wings  with  birds  are  in  the  place  of 
arms  with  men,  and  by  arms  are  signified  powers.  Since  by 
wings  are  signified  powers,  and  each  animal  had  six  wings,  it 
is  evident,  from  what  has  been  said  above,  what  kind  of  power 
is  signified  by  the  wings  of  each,  viz.,  that  hj  the  wings  of  the 
lion  is  signified  the  power  of  fighting  against  evils  and  falses 
from  hell  ;  this  powder  is  of  the  divine  trvith  of  the  Word  from 
the  Lord  :  that  by  the  wings  of  the  calf  is  signified  the  power 
of  affecting  men's  minds,  for  the  divine  truth  of  the  Word 
afi'ects  those  who  read  it  devoutly  :  that  by  the  six  wings  of  the 
man  is  signified  the  power  of  acquiring  wisdom  by  discovering 
what  God  is,  and  what  is  of  God,  for  this  is,  strictly  speaking, 
man's  object  in  reading  the  Word  :  and  that  by  the  wings  of  the 
eagle  is  signified  the  power  of  discerning  what  is  true  and  good, 
and  thereby  of  acquiring  intelligence.  Concerning  the  wings 
of  the  cherubims  in  Ezekiel,  it  is  written:  That  their  wings 
kissed  each  other,  and  that  they  also  covered  their  bodies,  and 
that  under  them  there  was  the  appearance  of  the  likeness  of 
hands,  i.  23,  21;  iii.  13;  x.  5,  21.  By  kissing  each  other,  is 
signified  to  act  in  conjunction  and  unanimously;  by  covering 
their  bodies,  is  signified  to  defend  the  interior  truths  which  be- 
177  M 


S'16,  247  THE    APOCALYPSE   KEVEALED.  [Cliap.  iv. 

long  to  tlie  spiritual  sense  of  the  Word  from  violation ;  and  by 
the  hands  under  their  wings  are  signified  powers.  Concerning 
the  seraphim,  it  is  also  said:  That  they  had  "six  wings i  with 
twain  he  covered  his  face,  with  twain  he  covered  his  feet,  and 
with  twain  he  did  fly,"  Isaiah  vi.  2.  By  seraphim  in  like  man- 
ner is  signified  the  Word,  properly  doctrine  from  the  Word,  and 
by  the  wings  wnth  which  they  covered  their  faces  and  feet,  iu 
like  manner  are  signified  defences,  and  by  the  wings  with  which 
they  flew,  powers,  as  above.  That  by  flying  is  signified  to  per- 
ceive and  instruct,  and  in  a  supreme  sense  to  foresee  and  pro- 
vide, is  also  evident  from  the  following  places :  "  And  he  rode 
on  a  cherub^  and  did  fiy,  yea,  he  did  fly  upon  the  wings  of  the 
wind,"  Psalm  xviii,  11 ;  2  Sam.  xxii.  11.  "  And  I  saw  another 
angel  j^y  in  the  midst  of  heaven,  having  the  everlasting  gospel," 
Apoc,  xiv.  6.  That  by  wings  are  signified  defences,  is  plain 
from  the  following  places  :  Jehovah  shall  cover  thee  under  his 
wings,  Psalm  xci.  4,  To  be  hid  under  the  shadow  of  God's 
wings,  Psalm  xvii.  8.  To  confide  under  the  shadow  of  his  wings, 
Psalm  xxxvi.  7 ;  Psalm  Ivii,  1  ;  Psalm  Ixii.  1.  "  I  stretched 
out  my  wing  over  thee,  and  covered  thy  nakedness,"  Ezek.  xvi. 
8.  "  Shall  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  arise  with  healing  in  his 
wings,^''  Malachi  iv.  2.  "  As  an  eagle  stirreth  up  her  nest,  flnt- 
tereth  over  her  young,  spreadeth  abroad  her  wings,  beareth  them  . 
on  her  wings,  so  the  Lord  alone  did  lead  him,"  Dent,  xxxii.  11, 
12.  Jesus  said,  "  O  Jerusalem, — how  often  would  I  have 
gathered  thy  children  together,  even  as  a  lien  gathereth  her 
chickens  under  her  wings,''''  Matt,  xxiii.  37 ;  Luke  xiii,  31. 

246.  And  they  vjerefull  of  eyes  within,  signifles  the  divine 
wisdom  in  the  Word,  in  its  natural  sense  derived  from  its  spirit- 
ual and  celestial  sense.  That  by  the  animals  full  of  eyes  before 
and  behind  is  signified  the  divine  wisdom  in  the  Word,  may  be 
seen  above,  n.  240  ;  in  like  manner  here;  by  their  winra  being 
full  of  eyes.  And  whereas  the  divine  wisdom  of  the  Word  in 
its  natural  sense  is  derived  from  its  spiritual  and  celestial  sense, 
which  is  concealed  within,  it  is  therefore  said,  that  wnthin  they 
were  full  of  eyes.  Concerning  the  spiritual  and  celestial  sense, 
which  are  contained  in  every  particular  of  the  Word,  see  The 
Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  conceriiing  the  Sacred  Scrip- 
ture^ n.  5 — 26. 

247.  And  they  rest  not  day  and  night,  saying,  Holy,  holy, 
holy.  Lord  God  Almighty,  signifies  that  the  Word  continually 
teaches  of  the  Lord,  and  that  he  is  the  only  God,  and  thence 
that  he  alone  is  to  be  worshipped.  The  animals  not  resting  day 
and  night,  signifies  that  the  Word  continually,  and  without  in- 
termission, teaches ;  and  that  it  teaches  what  the  animals  say, 
namely.  Holy,  holy,  holy.  Lord  God  Almighty,  that  is,  that  the 
Lord  is  the  only  God,  and  thence  that  he  alone  is  to  be  wor- 
shipped ;  this  is  what  is  signified  by  holy  three  times  repeated, 

178 


V.   8 10.]         THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  248,  249 

for  triplication  involves  every  thinii;  holy  in  him  alone.  That  a 
divine  trinity  is  in  the  Lord,  is  t'nlly  shown  in  The  Doctrine  of 
the  jW'iv  Ji^rumlem  concerning  the  Lord ;  as  also  that  the  W(M-d 
treats  of  the  Lord  alone,  and  that  thence  is  its  sanctity.  That 
the  Lord  alone  is  holy,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  173. 

248.  Who  was,  and  who  is,  and  who  is  to  come,  signifies 
the  Lord.  That  it  is  the  Lord  is  plain  from  chap.  i.  4,  8,  11, 
1 7,  where  the  Son  of  Man  is  treated  of,  which  is  the  Lord  as  to 
the  "Word,  and  there  it  is  expressly  said,  that  " //<3  is  Alpha 
and  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  end,  the  first  and  the  Last^ 
who  is,  and  who  was,  and  who  is  to  come,  the  Almighty  :''''  but 
what  is  signified  by  these  M'ords,  is  explained,  n.  13,  29,  30,  31, 
38,  57  ;  it  is  here  sliown  that  the  Lord  is  understood  by  "  Holy, 
holy,  lioly,  Lord  God  Almighty,  who  was,  and  who  is,  and  who 
is  to  come." 

249.  And  when  these  animals  give  glory,  and  honour,  and 
thanl's  to  Him  that  sat  on  the  throne,  signifies  that  the  Word 
ascril^es  all  truth,  and  all  good,  and  all  worship  to  the  Lord  the 
Judge.  The  animals  are  the  Word,  as  has  been  shown  ;  glory 
and  honour,  when  applied  to  the  Lord,  mean,  that  all  truth  and 
all  good  are  his  and  from  him  ;  thanks  signify  the  all  of  wor- 
ship;  he  that  sat  on  the  throne  signifies  the  Lord  as  to  judg- 
ment, as  above  :  hence  it  is  evident,  that  by  the  animals  giving 
glory,  and  honour,  and  thanks  to  Him  that  sat  on  the  tlirone, 
is  signified  that  the  Word  ascribes  all  truth,  and  all  good, 
and  all  Avorship,  to  the  Lord  the  Judge.  By  giving  the  Lord 
glory  and  honour,  nothing  else  is  meant  in  the  AVord  but  to 
acknowledge  and  confess  that  all  truth  and  all  good  is  from 
Him,  thus  that  he  is  the  God  alone,  for  his  glory  is  from  divine 
trutii,  and  his  honour  is  from  divine  good.  Such  is  the  signifi- 
cation of  glory  and  honour  in  the  following  places  :  "  Jehovah 
made  the  heavens,  glory  and  honour  are  before  him,"  Psalm 
xcvi.  5,  6.  "Jehovah  is  a  very  great  God,  thou  hast  clothed 
thyself  with  glo7'y  and  honour,''^  Psalm  civ.  1.  "The  woi-ks  of 
Jehovah  are  great,  glory  and  honour  are  his  work,"  Psalm  cxi. 
2,  3.  "  Glory  and  honour  hast  thou  laid  upon  him,  for  thou  hast 
made  him  most  blessed  for  ever,"  Psalm  xxi.  5,  6  •  speaking  of 
the  Lord,  "Gird  thy  sword  upon  thy  thigh,  O  most  migiity, 
Avith  Xhy  glory  and  honour;  and  in  thy  majesty  ride  prosper- 
ously because  of  truth,"  Psalm  xlv.  4, 5.  '^"  Thou  hast  made  him  a 
little  lower  than  the  angels,  thou  hast  crowned  him  with  glory 
and  honour,^"*  Psalm  viii.  6.  "The  glory  of  Lebanon  is  given 
unto  it,  the  honour  of  Carmel  and  Sharon  :  they  shall  see  the 
^lory  of  Jehovah,  and  the  honour  of  our  God,"  Isaiah  xxxv.  1,2; 
these  things  refer  to  the  Lord  ;  besides  other  places,  as  Psalra 
cxlv.  4,  5,  12  ;  Apoc.  xxi.  24,  26.  Moreover,  when  divine 
truth  is  treated  of  in  the  Word,  it  is  called  glory,  n.  G29,  and 
when  divine  good  is  treated  of  it  is  called  honour. 

179 


250 254  THE    APOCALYPSE    KEVEALED.  [Chap.  IV. 

250.  Who  liveth  for  ever  and  ever,  signifies  the  Lord  who 
alone  is  life,  and  from  whom  alone  is  life  eternal,  as  seen  above, 
n.  58,  60. 

251.  The  four-andAwenty  elders  fall  doion  hefore  Sim  that 
sat  on  the  throne,  and  worship  Him  that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever, 
signifies  the  humiliation  of  all  in  heaven  before  the  Lord.  That 
by  the  fonr-and-twenty  elders  are  meant  all  who  are  of  the 
Lord's  chnrch,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  233 ;  here  all  who  are  of 
his  chnrch  in  heaven ;  the  elders,  as  heads,  represented  all. 
That  humiliation  before  the  Lord  is  denoted,  and  from  that 
humiliation,  adoration,  is  evident  without  explanation, 

252.  And  cast  their  crowns  hefore  the  throne,  signifies  an 
acknowledo-ment  that  their  wisdom  is  from  Him  alone.  That 
crown  signifies  wisdom,  maybe  seen  above,  n.  189,  235  ;  there- 
fore by  casting  their  crowns  before  the  throne,  is  signified  to 
acknowledge  that  wisdom  is  not  tKeir  own,  but  of  the  Lord  in 
them, 

253.  Saying,  Thou  art  worthy,  0  Lord,  to  receive  glory,  and 
honour,  and  power,  signifies  a  confession  that  the  kingdom  is 
the  Lord's  by  merit  and  justice,  because  he  is  divine  truth  and 
divine  good.  Confession  is  signified  by  saying ;  merit  and 
justice  are  signified  by  thou  art  worthy,  O  Lord ;  that  He  \h 
divine  truth  and  divine  good,  is  signified  by  glory  and  honour, 
as  above,  n.  249 ;  that  His  is  the  kingdom,  is  signified  by  re- 
ceiving power:  these,  therefore,  collected  into  one  sense,  signify 
a  confession  that  the  kingdom  is  the  Lord's  by  merit  and  jus- 
tice, because  He  is  divine  truth  and  divine  good. 

254.  For  thou  hast  created  all  things,  and  hy  thy  will  they 
are,  and  were  created,  signifies  that  all  things  of  heaven  and  the 
churciiwere  made  and  formed,  and  men  reformed  and  regener- 
ated from  the  divine  love  of  the  Lord  by  his  divine  wisdom,  or 
from  his  divine  good  by  his  divine  truth,  which  also  is  the^ 
Word,  Such  is  the  spiritual  sense  of  these  words,  because  by 
creating,  is  signified  to  reform  and  regenerate  by  divine  truth, 
and  by  tlie  will  of  the  Lord  is  signified  the  divine  good  :  whethei 
you  call  it  the  divine  good  and  divine  truth,  or  the  divine  love 
and  divine  wisdom,  it  is  the  same,  because  all  good  is  of  love, 
and  all  truth  is  of  wisdom.  That  from  the  divine  love  and 
divine  wisdom  all  things  of  heaven  and  the  church,  yea  and  the 
world  itself  was  created,  is  abundantly  set  forth  in  The  Angelic 
Wisdom  concernhig  the  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom  ^ 
also  that  love  and  good  is  of  the  will,  and  wisdom  and  truth  of 
the  understanding ;  hence  it  appears,  that  by  the  Lord's  will  is 
understood  his  divine  good  or  divine  love.  That  to  create,  in 
the  Word,  signifies  to  reform  and  regenerate,  is  plain  from  the 
following  places :  "  Create  in  me  a  clean  heart,  O  God,  and 
renew  a  right  spirit  within  me,"  Psalm  li.  10.  "Thou  openest 
tliine  hand,  they  are  filled  with  good  ;  thou  sendest  forth  thy 

180 


V.  10,  11.]         THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  255 

Spirit,  tliey  are  created^''  Psalm  civ.  28,  30.  "The  people 
which  shall  be  created^  shall  praise  Jehovah,"  Psalm  cii.  10. 
"  Behold,  I  create  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth,  rejoice  for  ever 
in  tliat  which  I  create:  behold,  I  create  Jerusalem  a  rejoicing," 
Isaiah  Ixv.  17,  18.  "Jehovah  that  created  the  heavens,  he 
that  spread  out  the  earth,  he  that  giveth  breath  unto  the 
people  upon  it,  and  spirit  to  them  that  walk  therein,"  Isaiah 
xlii.  5  ;  xlv.  12,  18.  "Thus  saith  Jehovah  that  created  thee,  O 
Jacob,  and  he  that  formed  thee,  O  Israel ;  I  have  redeemed 
thee,  I  have  called  thee  by  ray  name  : — every  one  that  is  called 
by  my  name,  for  I  have  created  him  for  my  glory,"  Isaiah  xliii. 
1,  T.  They  were  prepared  "  in  the  day  that  thou  wast  created  : 
thou  wast  perfect  in  thy  ways  in  the  day  that  thou  wast  a^eated^ 
till  iniquity  was  found  in  thee,"  Ezek.  xxviii.  13,  15 ;  speaking 
of  the  king  of  Tyre,  by  whom  are  signified  they  who  are  in 
intelligence  from  divine  truth.  "  That  they  may  see,  and  know, 
and  consider,  and  understand  together  that  the  hand  of  Jeho- 
vah hath  done  this,  and  the  floly  One  of  Israel  hath  created 
it,"  Isaiah  xli.  19,  20. 

255.  Here  I  shall  add  this  Memorable  Relation.  Lest  any 
o'ne  should  enter  into  the  spiritual  sense  of  the  Word,  and  per- 
vert the  genuine  truth  which  pertains  to  that  sense,  there  are 
placed  guards  by  the  Lord,  which  are  understood  by  cherubims 
in  the  AV^ord,  which  are  the  four  animals  here  :  that  such  a  watch 
is  placed,  was  thus  represented  to  me.  I  was  permitted  to  see 
certain  large  purses,  which  seemed  like  bags,  containing  in  them 
a  large  quantity  of  silver ;  and  as  they  were  open,  it  was  per- 
ceived as  though  any  one  might  take  the  silver  out  of  them,  and 
even  carry  it  off:  but  near  to  the  purses  there  sat  two  angels 
as  guards :  the  place  where  they  were  deposited  appeared  like 
a  manger  in  a  stable ;  in  the  next  apartment  Avere  seen  some 
modest  virgins  with  a  chaste  wife ;  and  near  that  apartment 
stood  two  little  children,  and  it  was  said,  that  they  were  to  be 
treated  not  as  children  but  in  wisdom :  and  afterwards  there 
appeared  a  harlot,  and  also  a  dead  horse.  On  seeing  which  I 
was  instructed,  that  by  these  was  represented  the  literal  sense 
of  the  Word,  in  which  is  the  spiritual  sense.  The  large  purses 
full  of  silver  signified  the  knowledges  of  truth  and  good  in 
great  abundance :  their  being  open,  and  yet  guarded  by  angels, 
signified  that  any  one  might  take  from  thence  the  knowledges 
of  truth,  but  that  care  is  taken  lest  any  one  should  talsify  the 
spiritual  sense,  in  which  were  nothing  but  truths.  The  manger 
in  the  stable,  in  which  the  purses  lay,  signified  spiritual  .instruc- 
tion for  the  understanding ;  this  is  the  signification  of  a  manger, 
and  the  same  is  signified  by  the  manger  in  which  the  Lord  lay 
when  an  infant,  because  a  horse,  who  eats  out  of  it,  signifies 
the  understanding  of  the  Word.  The  modest  virgins,  who  wci-e 
181 


255  THE   APOCALYPSE   KEVEALED.  [Cliap.  V. 

Been  in  the  adjoining  apartment,  signified  affections  of  trnth, 
and  tlie  chaste  wife,  the  conjnnction  of  good  and  truth.  The 
children  signified  the  innocence  of  wisdom  in  the  Word  ;  tliej 
were  angels  from  the  third  heaven,  who  all  appear  like  little 
children.  The  harlot  with  the  dead  horse  signified  the  falsifi 
cation  of  the  Word  by  many  at  this  day,  by  which  all  the  un- 
derstanding of  truth  perishes ;  a  harlot  signifies  falsification, 
and  a  dead  horse  no  understanding  of  truth. 

It  has  been  permitted  me  to  converse  with  many  after  death, 
who  thought  they  should  shine  like  stars  in  heaven,  because, 
as  they  said,  they  had  held  the  AVord  as  sacred,  had  read  it 
frequently,  and  collected  many  things  from  it ;  by  which  they 
had  confirmed  the  tenets  of  their  faith,  and  were  therefore  cele- 
brated as  men  of  learning  in  the  world,  for  which  reason  they 
thought  they  should  be  Michaels  or  Kaphaels :  but  many  of 
them  were  explored,  in  order  to  ascertain  from  what  love  they 
had  studied  the  Word,  and  it  was  found,  that  some  had  studied 
it  from  self-love,  that  they  might  apj)ear  great  in  the  world,  and 
be  reverenced  as  heads  of  the  church  ;  but  others  from  the  love 
of  the  world,  that  they  might  acquire  riches.  When  they  were 
examined  as  to  what  they  knew  of  the  Word,  it  was  found,  that 
they  knew  nothing  of  genuine  truth  therefrom,  but  only  such 
as  is  called  truth  falsified,  which  in  itself  is  false,  and  this,  in 
the  spiritual  world,  is  perceived  as  a  stench  by  the  angels ;  and 
it  was  told  them  that  this  befel  them  from  their  loving  them- 
selves and  the  world  as  ends,  and  not  the  Lord  and  heaven ; 
and  when  self-love  and  the  world  are  ends,  then,  when  they 
read  the  Word,  their  mind  dwells  upon  self  and  the  world,  and 
therefore  they  think  constantly  from  their  own  selfhood,  which 
is  in  darkness  as  to  all  things  of  heaven ;  in  which  state  man 
cannot  be  abstracted  from  his  own  light,  and  so  elevated  into 
the  light  of  heaven,  nor  thence  receive  any  influx  from  the 
Lord  through  heaven.  I  also  saw  them  admitted  into  heaven, 
and  when  they  were  found  to  be  without  truths,  they  were 
stripped  of  their  garments  and  appeared  in  their  nakedness 
and  they  who  had  falsified  truths,  were,  by  reason  of  their 
offensive  smell,  expelled,  but  still  their  pride  remained  with 
them,  and  a  belief  in  their  own  merit.  It  was  difterent  with 
those  who  had  studied  the  Word  from  the  affection  of  knowing 
truth  because  it  is  truth,  and  is  subservient  to  the  uses  of 
spiritual  life,  not  only  to  a  man's  self,  but  also  to  his  neighbour ; 
these  I  saw  taken  up  into  heaven,  and  thus  into  the  light,  in 
which  the  divine  truth  is,  and  at  the  same  time  exalted  to  an- 
gelic wisdom  and  its  felicity,  which  is  life  eternal. 


182 


Chap,  v.]  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED. 


CHAPTER  y. 

1.  And  1  saw  in  the  right  hand  of  Him  that  sat  on  the 
throne,  a  book  written  within  and  on  tlie  back-side,  sealed  with 
Beven  seals. 

2.  And  I  saw  a  strong  angel  proclaiming  Avith  a  loud  voice, 
Who  is  worthy  to  open  the  Book,  and  to  loose  the  seals  thereof? 

3.  And  no  one  in  heaven,  nor  in  earth,  neither  nnder  the 
earth,  was  able  to  open  the  Book,  neither  to  look  thereon. 

4.  And  I  wept  much  because  no  one  was  found  worthy  to 
open  and  to  read  the  Book,  neither  to  look  thereon. 

5.  And  one  of  the  elders  saith  nnto  me,  AVeep  not;  behold, 
the  Lion  which  is  of  tlie  tribe  of  Judah,  the  lioot  of  David, 
hath  prevailed  to  open  the  Book,  and  to  loose  the  seven  seals 
thereof. 

6.  And  I  beheld,  and,  lo,  in  the  midst  of  the  throne  and  of 
the  four  animals,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  elders,  stood  a  Lamb, 
as  it  had  been  slain,  having  seven  horns  and  seven  eyes,  which 
are  the  seven  spirits  of  God  sent  forth  into  all  the  earth, 

7.  And  he  came  and  took  the  Book  out  of  the  right  hand 
of  Him  that  sat  upon  the  throne. 

8.  And  M'hen  he  had  taken  the  Book,  the  four  animals,  and 
the  four-and-twenty  elders,  fell  down  before  the  Lamb,  having 
every  one  of  them  harps,  and  golden  vials  full  of  incense,  which 
are  the  prayers  of  the  saints. 

9.  And  they  sung  a  new  song,  saying.  Thou  art  worthy  to 
take  the  Book,  and  to  open  the  seals  thereof:  for  thou  wast 
slain,  and  hast  redeemed  us  to  God  by  thy  blood,  out  of  every 
tribe,  and  tongue,  and  people,  and  nation ; 

10.  And  hast  made  us  unto  our  God  kings  and  priests:  and 
we  shall  reign  on  the  earth. 

11.  And  I  beheld,  and  I  heard  the  voice  of  many  angels 
round  about  the  throne,  and  the  animals,  and  the  elders :  and 
the  number  of  them  was  myriads  of  myriads,  and  thousands  of 
thousands ; 

12.  Saying  with  a  loud  voice.  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  was 
slain  to  receive  power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and  honour, 
and  glory,  and  blessing. 

13.  And  every  creature  which  is  in  heaven,  and  on  the 
earth,  and  under  the  earth,  and  such  as  are  in  the  sea,  and  all 
that  are  in  them,  heard  I  saying.  Blessing,  and  honour,  and 
glory,  and  power,  be  unto  Him  tliat  sitteth  upon  the  throne, 
and  unto  the  Lamb,  for  ever  and  ever. 

14.  And  the  four  animals  said,  Amen.  And  the  four-and- 
twenty  ciders  fell  down,  and  worehipped  Him  tliat  livcth  for 
ever  and  ever. 

183 


THE   APOCALYPSE   KEVEALED.  [Chap.  V. 


THE  SPIRITUAL  SENSE. 

The  Contents  of  the  whole  Chapter.  That  the  Lord  in 
his  Divine  Humanity  will  execute  judgment  out  of  the  "Word 
and  according  to  it,  because  he  is  himself  the  Word ;  and  that 
this  is  acknowledged  by  all  in  the  three  heavens. 

The  Contents  of  each  Yeese.  V.  1,  "And  I  saw  in  the 
right  hand  of  Him  that  sat  on  the  throne,  a  Book  written  within 
and  on  the  back-side,"  signifies  the  Loi'd  as  to  his  divinity  from 
eternity,  who  is  omnipotent  and  omniscient,  and  who  is  the 
Word :  "  Sealed  with  seven  seals,"  signifies  that  it  is  entirely 
hid  from  angels  and  men:  v.  2,  "And  I  saw  a  strong  angel 
proclaiming  with  a  loud  voice,"  signifies  divine  truth  from  the 
Lord  most  interiorly  influencing  both  angels  and  men :  "  Who 
is  worthy  to  open  the  Book,  and  to  loose  the  seals  thereof?" 
Bignifies,  who  has  power  to  know  the  states  of  life  of  all  in  the 
heavens  and  on  the  earths,  and  to  judge  every  one  according 
thereto :  v.  3,  "  And  no  one  in  heaven,  nor  in  earth,  neither 
under  the  earth,  was  able,"  signifies  that  no  one  in  the  superior 
heavens  or  inferior  heavens  was  able :  "  To  open  the  Book," 
Bignifies  to  know  the  states  of  the  life  of  all,  and  to  judge  every 
one  according  thereto  :  "l^either  to  look  thereon,"  signifies  not 
in  the  least :  v.  4,  "  And  I  wept  much  because  no  one  was  found 
worthy  to  open  and  read  the  Book,  neither  to  look  thereon," 
signifies  grief  of  heart,  because  if  no  one  could  do  it,  all  must 
perish  :  v.  5,  "And  one  of  the  elders  saith  unto  me.  Weep  not," 
signifies  consolation :  "  Behold,  the  lion  which  is  of  the  tribe 
of  Judah,  the  Root  of  David,  hath  prevailed,"  signifies  the 
Lord,  who  by  his  own  power  subdued  the  hells  and  reduced  all 
things  to  order  when  he  was  in  the  world,-  by  the  divine  good 
united  to  the  divine  truth  in  his  Humanity :  "  To  open  the 
Book  and  to  loose  the  seven  seals  thereof,"  signifies  here  as 
before  :  v.  6,  "And  I  beheld,  and,  lo,  in  the  midst  of  the  throne, 
and  of  the  four  animals,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  elders,"  signifies 
from  the  inmost  and  thence  in  all  things  of  heaven,  the  Word, 
and  the  church  :  "  Stood  a  Lamb,  as  it  had  been  slain,"  signifies 
the  Lord  as  to  his  Humanity,  not  acknowledged  in  the  church 
to  be  divine:  "Having  seven  horns,"  signifies  his  omnipotence: 
"And  seven  eyes,"  signifies  his  omniscience  and  divine  wis- 
dom :  "  Which  are  the  seven  spirits  of  God  sent  forth  into  all 
the  earth,"  signifies  that  from  divine  wisdom  is  derived  divine 
truth  throughout  the  whole  world,  wheresoever  there  is  any 
religion:  v.  7,  "And  he  came  and  took  the  Book  out  of  the 
right  hand  of  Him  that  sat  upon  the  throne,"  signifies  that  the 
Lord  as  to  his  Divine  Humanity  is  the  Word,  and  this  by 
virtue  of  the  divinity  within  him,  and  that  therefore  he  will 
execute  judgment  from  his  Divine  Humanity :  v.  8,  "Andwlien 
184 


Chap,  v.]  THE   ArOCALTPSE   REVEALED. 

he  had  taken  the  Book,"  signifies  wlien  the  Lord  appointed  to 
execute  the  judgment,  and  thereby  to  reduce  all  things  in  the 
heavens  and  upon  the  earths  to  order:  "The  four  animals  and 
the  four-and-twenty  eklers  fell  down  before  the  Lamb,"  signifies 
liumiliation  and  adoratioli  of  the  Lord  from  the  superior  heavens: 
"  Having  every  one  of  them  harps,"  signifies  a  confession  of  the 
Lord's  Divine  Humanity  from  spiritual  truths:  "And  golden 
vials  full  of  incense,"  signifies  confession  of  the  Lord's  I)ivine 
Humanity  from  spiritual  good :  "  Which  are  the  prayers  of 
saints,"  signifies  thoughts  which  are  of  fiiith  grounded  in  af- 
fections which  are  of  charity  with  those  who  worship  the  Lord 
from  spiritual  good  and  truth:  v.  9,  "And  they  sung  a  new 
song,"  signifies  an  acknowledgment  and  gloritication  of  the 
Lord,  that  he  alone  is  the  Judge,  Kedeemer,  and  Saviour,  thus 
the  God  of  heaven  and  earth :  "  Saying,  Thou  art  worthy  to 
take  the  Book,  and  to  ojDen  the  seals  thereof,"  signifies  here  as 
before :  "  For  thou  wast  slain,  and  hast  redeemed  us  to  God  by 
thy  blood,"  signifies  deliverance  from  hell  and  salvation  by 
conjunction  with  him :  "  Out  of  every  tribe,  and  tongue,  and 
people,  and  nation,"  signifies  that  they  in  the  church,  or  in  any 
religion,  who  are  in  truths  as  to  doctrine,  and  in  good  as  to  life, 
are  redeemed  by  the  Lord  :  v.  10,  "And  hast  made  ns  nnto  our 
God  kings  and  priests,"  signifies  that  from  the  Lord  they  are 
in  wisdom  from  divine  truths  and  in  love  from  divine  good: 
"  And  w^e  shall  reign  on  the  earth,"  signifies,  and  will  be  in 
his  kingdom,  he  in  them  and  they  in  him:  v.  11,  "And  I  be- 
held, and  I  heard  the  voice  of  many  angels  round  about  the 
throne,  and  the  animals,  and  the  elders,"  signifies  a  confession 
and  glorification  of  the  Lord  by  the  ange'ls  of  the  inferior 
heavens:  "And  the  number  of  them  was  myriads  of  myriads," 
signifies  all  in  truths  and  good :  v.  12,  "  Saying  w^ith  a  loud 
voice.  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  was  slain  to  receive  power, 
and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and  honour,  and  glory,"  signifies  con- 
fession from  the  heart,  that  to  the  Lord  as  to  his  Divine  Hu- 
manity belong  omnipotence,  omniscience,  divine  good,  and 
divine  truth :  "And  blessing,"  signifies  all  these  in  him,  and 
from  him  in  them :  v.  13,  "  And  every  creature  which  is  in 
heaven,  and  on  the  earth,  and  under  the  eartli,  and  such  as 
are  in  the  sea,  and  all  that  are  in  them,  heard  I  saying,"  sig- 
nifies confession  and  glorification  of  the  Lord  by  the  angels  of 
the    lowest  heaven :  "  Blessing,  and  honour,   and   glory,  and 

Eower,  be  unto  Him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  nnto  the 
amb  for  ever  and  ever,"  signifies  that  in  the  Lord  from 
eternity,  and  thence  in  his  Divine  Humanity,  is  the  All  of 
heaven  and  the  church,  divine  good,  and  divine  truth,  and 
divine  power,  and  from  him  in  tiiem :  v.  14,  "  And  the  four 
animals  said.  Amen,"  signifies  divine  confirmation  from  the 
Word:  "And  the  four-and-twenty  elders  fell  down  and  wor- 
185 


256  THE   APOC^VLYPSE   REVEALED.  [Cliap.  V 

shipped  Him  tliat  liveth  for  ever  and  ever,"  signifies  humilia- 
tion before  the  Lord,  and,  from  humiKation,  adoration  of  him, 
by  all  in  the  heavens,  from  whom  and  in  whom  is  everlasting 
life. 


THE  EXPLANATION; 

256.  And  I  saio  in  the  right  hand  of  Sim  that  sat  on  the 
throne  a  Booh^  written  within  and  on  the  hach-side,  signifies 
the  Lord  as  to  his  divinity  from  eternity,  who  is  omnipotent  and 
omniscient,  and  who  is  the  AVord;  who  also  knows  from  him 
self  the  state  of  the  life  of  all  in  the  heavens  and  on  the  earths, 
as  well  in  general  as  in  every  particular.  B}"  Him  that  sat  on 
the  throne  is  meant  the  Lord  as  to  his  divinity,  from  which  his 
Humanity  was  derived,  for  it  follows  that  the  Lamb  took  the 
right  hand  of  him  that  sat  on  the  throne,  verse  T,  and  by  the 
Lamb  is  meant  the  Lord  as  to  the  Divine  Humanity ;  by  the 
Book  written  within  and  on  the  back-side  is  meant  the  Word 
in  every  particular  and  in  every  general  respect ;  by  within, 
in  every  particular  respect,  and  by  on  the  back-side,  in  every 
general  respect :  by  within  and  on  the  back-side  is  also  meant 
the  interior  sense  of  the  Word,  which  is  its  spiritual  sense,  and 
its  exterior  sense,  which  is  its  natural  sense  ;  by  right  hand  is 
himself  as  to  his  omnipotence  and  omniscience,  because  the 
exploration  of  all  in  the  heavens  and  on  the  earths,  upon  whom 
jiidgment  is  to  be  executed,  and  their  separation,  is  treated  of. 
The  Lord,  as  the  Word,  knows  the  states  of  life  of  all  in  the 
heavens  and  on  the  earths  from  himself,  because  he  is  divine 
truth  itself,  and  divine  truth  itself  knows  all  things  from  itself; 
but  this  is  an  arcanum,  which  is  revealed  in  The  Angelio  Wis- 
doTTi  concerning  the  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom. 
That  the  Lord  as  to  his  divinity  from  eternity  was  the  Word, 
that  is,  divine  truth,  is  evident  from  these  words  in  John  :  "  Li 
the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  was  with  God,  and 
God  was  the  Word,"  i.  1 ;  and  that  the  Lord  as  to  his  Human- 
ity also  was  made  the  Word,  in  the  same  evangelist :  "  And 
the  Word  was  made  flesh,"  i.  14.  Hence  it  may  appear  what 
is  meant  by  the  Book  being  in  the  right  hand  of  Him  that  sat 
on  the  throne,  and  by  the  Lamb  taking  it  thence,  verse  T.  Since 
the  Lord  is  the  Word,  and  the  Word  is  divine  truth,  which  in 
common  constitutes  heaven  and  the  church,  and  in  particular 
eftch  angel,  that  heaven  may  be  in  him,  and  man,  that  the 
church  may  be  in  him,  and  because  the  Word  is  here  meant  by 
the  Book,  out  of  which  and  according  to  which  all  were  to  be 
judged,  therefore  in  many  places  occur  these  expressions,  to 
be  written  in  the  Book,  to  be  judged  out  of  the  Book,  to  be 
blotted  out  of  the  Book,  where  the  state  of  any  one's  eternai 
186 


V.  1,  2.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  BEVEALED.        257 — 259 

lite  is  treated  of,  as  in  these  places:  The  Ancient  of  Days  did 
sit  in  judgment,  "and  the  looks  ware  opened,"  iJan.  vii.  10. 
Every  people  shall  be  delivered  that  "  shall  be  found  written 
in  the  Book.^''  Dan.  xii.  1.  "  My  substance  was  not  hid  from 
thee,  and  in  thy  hooh  all  my  members  are  written,"  Psalm 
cxxxix.  15,  16.  Moses  said,  '■''Blot  iiie^  I  pray  thee,  out  of  thy 
})ooh  which  thou  hast  written.  And  Jeliovali  said  unto  Moses, 
Whosoever  hath  sinned  against  me  will  I  Mot  out  of  my  hooh^'' 
Exod.  xxxii.  32,  33.  "  Let  them  be  hlotted  out  of  thy  hook  of 
the  living,  and  not  be  written  with  the  righteous,"  Psalm  Ixix. 
28.  "  I  saw  that  the  hooks  were  opened,  and  another  hook  was 
opened,  which  is  the  hook  of  life,  and  the  dead  were  judged  out 
of  those  things  which  were  written  in  the  hook  according  to  their 
works,  and  whosoever  was  not  found  written  in  the  hook  of  life, 
was  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire,"  Apoc.  xx.  12 — 14.  There  shall 
none  enter  into  the  New  Jerusalem,  but  such  as  are  "  written 
in  the  Lamb's  hook  of  llfe^''  Apoc.  xxi.  27.  All  shall  worship 
the  beast  "  whose  names  are  not  written  in  the  Lamb's  hook,  of 
life^''  Apoc.  xiii.  8 ;  xvii.  8.  That  by  the  Book  is  understood 
the  Word,  may  be  seen  in  David  :  "  In  the  Yolunie  of  the  Booh 
it  is  written  of  me,"  Psalm  xl.  7  ;  and  Ezekiel :  "I  looked,  and 
behold  a  hand  was  put  forth  unto  me,  and  in  it  was  a  roll  of  a 
Book,  written  within  and  without,"  ii.  9, 10.  The  Book  of  the 
Words  of  Isaiah,  Luke  iii.  4.     The  Book  of  Psalms,  Luke  xx.  42. 

257.  Sealed  with  seven  seals,  signifies  entirely  hid  from 
angels  and  men.  That  to  be  sealed  with  a  seal  signifies  to  be 
hid,  is  evident,  hence  to  be  sealed  with  seven  seals  signifies  to  be 
entirely  or  totally  hid,  for  seven  signifies  all,  n.  10,  and  therefore 
totally ;  that  it  was  entirely  hid  from  angels  and  men,  is  presently 
said  in  these  words  :  "  And  no  one  in  heaven,  7ior  on  earth,  nei- 
ther under  the  earth,  was  able  to  open  and  read  the  Book,  neither 
to  look  thereon,"  verse  3,  4.  Such  is  the  Word  to  all  to  whom 
the  Lamb,  that  is,  the  Lord,  does  not  open  it :  but  as  the  explo 
ration  of  all  before  the  last  judgment  is  here  treated  of,  it  means 
the  states  of  life  of  all  both  in  general  and  in  particular,  which 
are  entirely  hid. 

258.  And  I  saw  a  strong  angel  proclaiming  with  a  loud  voice, 
signifies  divine  truth  from  the  Lord  most  interiorly  influencing 
the  thoughts  of  angels  and  men,  and  searching  them.  By  an 
angel  proclaiming,  is  understood,  in  the  spiritual  sense,  the 
Lord,  because  an  angel  does  not  preach  and  teach  from  himself, 
but  from  the  Lord,  but  still  as  from  himself  It  is  said  a  strong 
angel,  to  denote  his  acting  with  power,  and  that  which  is  pro- 
claimed with  power  penetrates  deeply  into  the  thought ;  a  loud 
or  great  voice  signifies  divine  truth  from  the  Lord  in  its  power 
or  virtue  :  it  signifies,  also,  diligent  searching,  because  he  asks, 
"Who  is  woi-thy  to  open  the  Book?"  as  now  f)llows. 

259.  Who  is  worth//  to  open  the  Book  aiid  to  loose  the  neaU 
187 


260  THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.        [Chap.  V. 

iJiereof?  signifies  who  has  power  to  know  the  states  of  life  of  all 
in  the  heavens  and  on  the  earths,  and  to  judge  every  one  accord- 
ing thereto.  "  Who  is  worthy,"  signifies  who  is  able  or  who  has 
the  power ;  "  to  open  the  Book  and  to  loose  the  seals  thereof," 
signifies  here  to  know  the  states  of  life  of  all  in  the  heavens  and 
on  the  earths,  and  also  to  judge  every  one  according  to  his  state  ; 
for  when  the  Book  is  opened,  there  is  an  examination  into  their 
quality,  and  then  sentence  or  judgment  is  pronounced,  com- 
piiratively  as  a  judge  does  with  a  book  of  laws  and  acts  from 
it.  That  by  opening  the  Book,  is  signified  a  search  into  the 
quality  of  the  states  of  life  in  all  and  every  one,  is  evident  from 
the  following  chapter,  where  is  described  what  was  seen,  when 
the  Lamb  opened  the  seven  seals  in  their  order. 

260,  And  no  one  in  heaven^  nor  in  earthy  neither  under  the 
earthy  was  able^  signifies  that  no  one  in  the  sujjerior  heavens  or 
inferior  heavens  was  able.  In  heaven,  in  earth,  neither  under 
the  earth,  mean  in  the  superior  and  inferior  heavens,  in  like 
manner  as  in  the  IStli  verse,  where  it  is  said,  "  And  every  crea- 
ture which  is  in  heaven,  and  on  the  earth,  and  under  the  earth, 
and  such  as  are  in  the  sea,  and  all  that  are  in  them,  heard  I 
saying."  Since  he  heard  them  all  speaking,  it  is  evident  that 
they  were  angels  and  spirits  who  spake ;  for  John  was  in  the 
spirit,  as  he  himself  says  in  the  preceding  chapter  (iv.  verse  2), 
in  wdiich  state  no  other  earth  appeared  to  him  but  the  earth  of 
the  spiritual  world ;  for  there  are  earths  there  as  well  as  in  the 
natural  world,  as  may  appear  from  the  description  of  that  world 
in  the  work  concerning  Heaven  and  Hell ;  as  also  in  The  Con- 
tinuation concerning  the  Spiritual  World,  n.  32 — 38.  The 
superior  heavens  appear  there  upon  mountains  and  hills,  the 
inferior  heavens  in  the  earth  beneath,  and  the  ultimate  heavens 
as  it  were  under  the  earth  ;  for  the  heavens  are  expanses,  one 
above  another,  and  each  expanse  is  like  the  earth  under  the 
feet  of  those  who  are  there  :  the  uppermost  expanse  is  like  the 
top  of  a  mountain,  the  next  expanse  is  under  it,  but  extending 
itself  further  on  all  sides  round  about,  and  the  lowest  expanse 
is  still  more  extensive ;  and  since  this  last  is  under  the  other,  they 
who  are  there  are  under  the  earth.  The  three  heavens  also  ap- 
pear thus  to  the  angels  who  are  in  the  superior  heavens,  because 
to  them  there  appear  two  heavens  beneath  tliem ;  in  like  man- 
ner they  appeared  to  John,  because  he  was  with  them,  for  he 
had  ascended  to  them,  as  is  evident  from  chap.  iv.  verse  1,  wiiere 
it  is  said,  "  Come  up  hither,  and  I  will  show  thee  things  which 
must  be  hereafter."  Such  as  are  ignorant  of  the  spiritual  world 
and  the  earths  there,  can  by  no  means  know  what  is  meant  by 
under  the  earth,  nor  by  the  lower  parts  of  the  earth,  in  the  Word, 
as  in  Isaiah  :  "  Sing,  O  ye  heavens,  shout,  ye  lower  parts  of  the 
earth,  break  forth  into  singing,  ye  mountains,  for  Jehovah  hath 
redeemed  Jacob,"  xliv.  23;  and  in  other  places.  Who  does 
188 


r.  3 5. J  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         201 265 

not  see,  that  tlie  eartlis  of  the  spiritual  world  are  here  meant? 
for  no  man  lives  nnder  the  earth  in  tlie  natural  ■world. 

2r)l.  To  open  the  Book^  signifies  to  know  the  states  of  the 
life  of  all,  and  to  judge  everyone  according  thereto,  as  appears 
from  the  explanation  above,  n.  259. 

202.  Neither  to  look  thereon,  signifies  not  in  the  least. 
Since  by  opening  the  Book,  is  signified  to  know  the  states  of  the 
life  of  all,  by  looking  on  it  is  signified  to  see  what  the  state  of 
life  of  this  or  that  person  is,  therefore  by  no  one  being  able  to 
open  the  Book  nor  to  look  thereon,  is  signified  that  they  were 
not  able  in  the  least ;  for  the  Lord  alone  sees  the  state  of  every 
one  from  inmost  to  ontnio:?t,  as  also  what  a  man  has  been  fronv 
infancy  to  old  age,  and  what  he  will  be  to  eternity,  and  like- 
wise what  place  he  will  have  either  in  heaven  or  in  hell ;  and 
this  the  Lord  sees  in  an  instant,  and  from  himself,  because  he  is 
the  divine  truth  itself  or  the  Word  ;  but  angels  and  men  do  not 
see  this  in  the  least,  because  they  are  finite,  and  the  finite  se& 
only  a  few  things,  and  those  only  external,  and  not  these  indeed 
from  tliemselves,  but  from  the  Lord. 

203.  And  I loept  much  because  no  one  was  found  loorthy  to 
open  and  read  the  JBook^  neither  to  look  thereon,  sigTiifies  grief 
of  heart,  because  if  no  one  could  do  it,  all  must  perish.  That 
to  weep  much  is  to  grieve  at  heart,  is  evident ;  the  reason  why 
he  grieved  at  heart,  was,  because  if  this  could  not  have  been 
done,  all  must  have  perished ;  for  if  all  things  in  the  heavens 
and  on  the  earths  were  not  reduced  to  order  by  the  last  judg- 
ment, it  could  not  be  otherwise;  for  the  Apocal^'pse  treats  of 
the  last  state  of  the  church,  when  it  comes  to  its  end,  the  nature 
of  which  state  is  described  by  the  Lord  in  these  words :  "  Foi 
then  shall  be  great  tribulation,  such  as  was  not  from  the  begin- 
ning of  the  world  to  this  time,  no,  nor  ever  shall  be ;  and  ex- 
cept those  days  should  be  shortened,  there  should  no  flesh  bo 
saved,"  Matt.  xxiv.  21,  22  ;  speaking  of  the  last  time  of  the 
churcli,  when  judgment  takes  place.  That  sucli  is  the  state  of 
the  church  at  this  day,  may  be  known  solely  from  these  con- 
siderations, that  the  greatest  part  of  the  Christian  world  is  occu- 
pied by  those  who  have  transferred  to  themselves  the  divine 
power  of  the  Lord,  and  would  fain  be  worshipped  as  gods,  and 
who  invoke  dead  men,  and  scarce  any  of  them  the  Lord  ;  and 
that  the  rest  of  the  church  make  God  three,  and  the  Lord  two, 
and  place  salvation,  not  in  amendment  of  life,  but  in  certain 
words  breathed  out  in  a  devout  tone  of  voice ;  consequently 
not  in  repentance,  but  in  a  confidence  that  they  are  justified 
and  sanctified,  provided  they  do  but  fold  their  hands  and  look 
upwards,  and  utter  some  customary  form  of  prayer. 

204r.  And  one  of  the  elders  saith  unto  me.  Weep  not  /  tliat 
this  signifies  consolation,  is  evident. 

205.  Behold,  the  Lion  hath  prevailed,  signifies  the  Lord, 
1S9 


2G6 268         THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.         [Cliap.  T. 

who  by  his  own  power  subdued  the  hells,  and  reduced  all 
things  to  order  Avhen  he  was  in  the  world.  That  a  lion  signi- 
fies the  divine  truth  of  the  Word  as  to  its  power,  may  be  seen 
above,  n.  241  ;  and  because  the  Lord  is  divine  truth  itself  or 
the  Word,  he  is  called  a  Lion.  That  the  Lord,  when  he  was  in 
the  world,  subdued  the  hells  and  reduced  all  things  in  the  hea- 
vens to  order,  and  likewise  glorified  his  Humanity,  may  be  seen 
above,  n.  67  ;  and  iiow  he  did  this,  may  be  seen  in  The  Doctrine 
of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Lord^  n.  12 — 14  :  hence  it 
is  evident,  what  is  meant  by  "  the  Lion  hath  prevailed." 

266.  Which  is  of  the  trihe  of  Judah,  the  Root  of  David,  sig- 
nifies by  the  divine  good  united  to  the  divine  truth  in  his  Hu- 
manity. By  Judah,  in  the  Word,  is  meant  the  church  which  is 
in  the  good  of  love  to  the  Lord,  and  in  a  supreme  sense  the  Lord 
as  to  the  divine  good  of  divine  love ;  and  by  David  is  meant  the 
Lord  as  to  the  divine  truth  of  divine  wisdom  :  that  this  is  meant 
by  David,  may  be  seen  in  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem 
concerning  the  Lord,  n.  43,  48  ;  and  that  the  former  is  meant  by 
Judah,  may  be  seen,  n.  96,  266,  350;  hence  it  appears  that  by 
"  Behold  the  Lion  which  is  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  the  Root  of 
David,  hath  prevailed,"  is  signified  that  the  Lord  overcame  the 
hells  and  reduced  all  things  to  order  by  the  divine  good  united 
to  the  divine  truth  in  his  Humanity.  That  this  is  the  sense  of 
these  words,  cannot  be  seen  from  the  letter,  but  only  that  he  it 
was  who  was  born  in  the  world  of  the  tribe  of  Judah  and  line- 
age of  David;  still,  however,  these  words  contain  in  them  a 
spiritual  sense,  in  which  by  the  names  of  persons  are  understood 
things,  as  has  frequently  been  observed  above,  thus  by  Judah  is 
not  meant  Judah,  nor  by  David,  David ;  but  by  Judah,  the  Lord 
as  to  divine  good,  and  by  David,  the  Lord  as  to  divine  truth  ; 
on  this  account  the  sense  of  this  passage  is  as  has  been  stated. 
The*  reason  why  this  sense  is  here  explained,  is,  because  the 
A]30calypse  as  to  its  spiritual  sense  is  now  unfolded. 

267.  To  open  the  Booh,  and  loose  the  seven  seals  thereof 
signifies  to  know  the  states  of  the  life  of  all  in  the  heavens  and 
on  the  earths,  and  to  judge  every  one  according  thereto,  as 
above,  n.  258,  259. 

268.  And  I  heheld,  and  lo,  in  the  midst  of  the  throne,  and 
of  the  four  animals,  and  in  the  inidst  of  the  elders,  signifies 
from  the  inmost  and  thence  in  all  things  of  heaven,  the  Word, 
and  the  church.  In  the  midst  signifies  in  the  inmost,  and 
thence  in  all  things,  n.  44 ;  a  throne  signifies  heaven,  n.  14 ; 
the  four  animals  or  cherubs  signify  the  Word,  n.  239 ;  and  the 
four-and-twenty  elders  signify  the  church  as  to  all  things  be- 
longing thereto,  n.  233,  251 ;  from  which  it  follows,  that,  in 
the  midst  of  the  throne,  and  of  the  four  animals,  and  in  the 
midst  of  the  elders,  signifies  from  the  inmost  in  all  things  of 
heaven,  the  Word,  and  the  church. 

190 


r.  5,  6. J  THE  apocalypse  revealed.  26P,  270 

2G9.  Stood  a  Lnml)  standing  as  it  had  leen  slain,  sio;nifies 
the  Lord  as  to  liis  Iluinanitj',  not  acknowledged  in  the  cJiwrch 
to  be  divine.  By  Lamb,  in  tlie  Apoealvpse,  is  meant  the  Lord 
as  to  the  Divine  Ilnmanitj,  and  by  a  Lamb  shiin,  is  denoted 
that  liis  Ilnnianity  is  not  aclcnowledged  in  the  chmch  to  be 
divine;  in  like  manner  as  in  chap.  i.  verse  18,  -where  it  is  said, 
"  I  wai^  made  dead,  and  behold  1  am  alive  for  ever  and  ever;" 
by  which  is  meant  that  the  Lord  is  neglected  in  the  chnrch,  and 
his  Ilnmanity  not  acknowledged  to  be  divine,  n.  59 :  that  this 
is  the  case,  may  be  seen  below,  n.  294.  Since,  therefore,  the 
Lord  as  to  the  Divine  IIuirLanity  is  meant  by  the  Lamb,  and  it 
is  said  of  him,  that  iie  took  the  Book  ont  of  the  right  hand  of 
Ilim  that  sat  npon  the  throne,  and  afterwards  that  he  opened 
it,  and  loosed  the  seven  seals  thereof,  and  since  no  mortal  conld 
do  this,  but  God  alone,  it  follows,  that  by  the  Lamb  is  meant 
the  Lord  as  to  the  Divine  Humanity,  and  by  liis  being  slain, 
that  he  is  not  acknowledged  to  be  God  as  to  his  Humanity. 

270.  Having  seven  horjis,  signifies  his  omnipotence.  A  horn 
is  frequently  mentioned  in  the  Word,  and  by  it  is  everywhere 
signified  power ;  therefore  when  a  horn  is  yjredicated  of  the  Lord, 
it  signifies  onniipotence.  Tlie  reason  why  seven  horns  are  men- 
tioned, is,  because  seven  signifies  all,  n.  10,  thus  omnipotence. 
That  a  horn  signifies  power,  and  when  applied  to  the  Lord,  om- 
nipotence, may  appear  from  the  following  passages :  "Ye  which 
rejoice  in  a  thing  of  naught,  which  say,  Have  we  not  taken  to 
tis  Jwrns  In-^  our  own  strength?"  Amos  vi.  13.  I  said  unto  the 
wicked,  "  Lift  not  up  the  /ior;i,  lift  not  up  your  horn  on  high  : 
All  the  hoi'ns  of  the  wicked  M'ill  I  cut  ofl:";  but  the  horns  of  the 
righteous  shall  be  exalted,"  Psalm  Ixxv.  4,  5,  10.  Jehovah  hath 
"set  up  the  horn  of  thine  adversaries,"  Lament,  ii.  1.  "The 
horn  of  Moab  is  cut  off,  and  his  arm  is  broken,"  Jerem.  xlviii. 
25.  "  Because  ye  have  thrust  with  side  and  with  shoulder,  and 
push  all  the  diseased  [sheep]  with  your  horns,"  Ezek.  xxxiv.  21. 
Jehovah  hath  "  exalted  the  ho7'7i  of  his  people,"  Psalm  cxlviii. 
14.  Jehovah  the  God  of  hosts  is  "the  glory  of  our  strength, 
and  in  his  favour  our  ho7'n  shall  be  exalted,"  Psalm  Ixxxix.  17. 
The  brightness  of  Jehovah  God  shall  be  as  the  light,  "  he  had 
horns  coming  out  of  his  hand,  and  there  was  the  hiding  of  his 
power,"  Hab.  iii.  4.  "Mine  arm  also  shall  strengthen  him — 
and  in  ni}'  name  shall  his  horn  be  exalted,"  Psalm  Ixxxix.  21, 
22,  24.  "  Jehovah  is  my  strength,  my  rock,  my  horn,''^  Psalm 
xviii.  2,  3;  2  Sam.  xxii.  3.  "Arise,  O  daughter  of  Zion,  for  I 
will  make  thine  horn  iron,  and  thou  shalt  beat  in  pieces  many 
people,"  Micah  iv.  13.  Jehovah  hath  destroyed  in  his  wrath 
"the  strongholds  of  the  daughter  of  Judah,  and  liath  cut  oif  all 
the  horn  of  Israel,"  Lament,  ii.  3.  Powers  are  also  sigiiilied  by 
the  "  horns  of  the  dragon,"  Apoc.  xii.  3  ;  by  the  horns  of  "  the 
beast  which  came  up  out  of  the  sea,"  Apoc.  xiii.  1 ;  by  the  horns 
191 


271-  -273  THE   APOCALYPSE    EEVEALED.  [Cliap.  V 

of  the  scarlet  beast  upon  wliicli  the  woman  sat,  Apoc.  xvii.  3,  7, 
12  ;  by  the  horns  of  the  ram  and  the  he-goat,  Dan.  viii.  3,  4,  5, 
7 — 12,  21,  25  ;  by  the  horns  of  the  beast  which  came  np  out  of 
the  sea,  Dan.  vii.  3,  7,  8,  20,  21,  23,  24  ;  by  the  four  horns 
which  scattered  Judah  and  Israel,  Zech.  i.  18;  by  the  horns  of 
the  altar  of  burnt-offerings,  and  the  altar  of  incense,  Exod.  xxvii. 
2  ;  XXX.  2,  3,  10  :  by  these  last  was  sigjiified  the  power  of  divine 
truth  in  the  church  ;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  that  that  power 
would  perish,  is  signified  by  the  horns  of  the  altars  in  Bethel, 
Amos  iii.  14:  "I  shall  visit  the  transgressions  of  Israel,  I  will 
also  visit  the  altars  of  Bethel,  and  the  horns  of  the  altar  shall 
be  cut  off,  and  fall  to  the  ground." 

271.  And  seven  eyes,  signifies  his  omniscience  and  divine 
wisdom.  That  eyes,  when  spoken  of  the  Lord,  signify  his  divine 
wisdom,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  48,  125,  thus  also  his  omnisci- 
ence ;  and  that  seven  signifies  all,  and  is  predicated  of  any  thing 
holy,  n,  10 ;  hence  by  the  seven  eyes  of  the  Lamb,  is  signified 
the  divine  wisdom  of  the  Lord,  which  is  also  omniscience. 

272.  Which  are  the  seven  spirits  of  God  sent  forth  into  all 
the  earth,  signifies  that  from  divine  wisdom  is  derived  divine 
truth  thr(.ughout  the  whole  world,  wheresoever  there  is  any 
religion.  The  seven  spirits  of  God  are  the  divine  truth  pro- 
ceeding from  the  Lord  as  above,  n.  14,  155.  That  being  sent 
forth  into  all  the  earth,  means  throughout  the  whole  world 
wheresoever  there  is  any  religion,  is  evident ;  for  where  there 
is  any  religion,  mankind  is  taught  that  there  is  a  God,  and  that 
there  is  a  devil,  and  that  God  is  good  itself,  and  that  all  good 
19  from  him,  and  that  the  devil  is  evil  itself,  and  that  all  evil  is 
from  him ;  and,  as  they  are  opposites,  so  evil,  being  from  the  devil, 
is  to  be  shunned,  and  good,  being  from  God,  is  to  be  done  ;  con- 
sequently, in  proportion  as  any  one  does  evil,  so  far  he  loves  the 
devil,  and  acts  against  God.  Such  divine  truth  exists  through- 
out the  whole  world  where  there  is  any  religion  ;  so  that  it  is 
only  necessary  to  know  what  evil  is,  and  this  also  is  known  by 
all  who  have  any  religion  ;  for  the  precepts  of  every  religion 
are  similar  to  those  contained  in  the  decalogue,  viz.,  that  it  is 
not  lawful  to  kill,  nor  to  commit  adultery,  nor  to  steal,  nor  to 
bear  fjilse  witness.  These  are  in  general  divine  truths  sent  forth 
from  the  Lord  into  all  the  earth,  see  The  Doctrine  of  the  New 
Jerxisalem  concerning  the  Sacred  Scripture,  n.  101 — 118  :  there- 
fore he  who  lives  according  to  them  on  account  of  their  being 
divine  truths,  or  the  commandments  of  God,  and  thence  of  re- 
ligion, is  saved  ;  but  he  who  only  lives  according  to  them  be- 
cause they  are  civil  and  moral  truths,  is  not  saved,  for  he  that 
denies  God  may  also  so  live,  but  not  he  that  confesses  God. 

273.  And  he  came  and  took  the  Book  out  of  the  right  hand 
of  Him  that  sat  upon  the  throne,  signifies  that  the  Lord  as  to 
his  Divine  Humanity  is  the  Word,  and  this  by  virtue  of  the  divin- 

192 


V.  7,  8.]  TIIK    APOCALYPSK    RKVKALED.  274,  275 

ity  witliiii  liini,  and  that  tliercfore  lie  Avill  execute  judgment 
from  his  ])ivinc  Tlumaiiity.  Here  it  manifestly  ap]>ears,  that 
He  tliat  sat  upon  the  throne  and  the  Lamb  are  one  ]'>erson,  and 
tliat  by  Him  that  sat  upon  the  throne  is  meant  liis  divine  prin- 
ciple whence  are  all  things,  and  by  the  Lamb,  his  Divine  Hu- 
iTianity ;  for  it  is  said  in  the  preceding  verse,  that  he  saw  a  Lamb 
standing  in  the  midst  of  the  throne,  and  in  this,  that  he  took 
the  Book  from  Him  that  sat  upon  the  throne.  That  the  Lord 
will  execute  judgment  from  his  Divine  Humanity,  because  ho 
is  the  "Word,  is  evident  from  these  passages:  "And  then  shall 
appear  the  sign  of  the  So7i  of  Man  ;  and  they  shall  see  the  Son 
of  Man  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  Avith  power  and  glory," 
Matt.  xxiv.  30.  "  When  the  Son  of  Man  shall  sit  on  his  throne 
judging  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel,"  Matt.  xix.  28.  "The  Son 
of  Man  shall  come  in  the  glory  of  his  Father,  and  then  shall 
he  reward  every  man  according  to  his  works,"  Matt.  xvi.  27. 
"  Watch  ye,  therefore,  and  pray  always,  that  ye  may  be  ac- 
counted worthy  to  stand  before  the  Son  of  Man ^^  Luke  xxi.  36. 
"In  such  an  hour  as  ye  think  not,  the  Son  of  Man  cometh," 
Matt.  xxiv.  44:.  "  For  the  Father  judgeth  no  man,  but  hath 
committed  all  judgment  imto  the  Son^ — because  he  is  the  Son 
of  Man^'*  John  v.  22,  27.  The  Son  of  Man  is  the  Lord  as  to 
the  Divine  Humanity,  and  this  is  the  Word,  which  was  God, 
and  was  made  flesh,  John  i.  1,  14. 

274.  And  wJien  he  had  taken  the  Boolt^  signifies  when  the 
Lord  appointed  to  execute  the  judgment,  and  thereby  to  reduce 
all  things  in  the  heavens  and  in  the  earths  to  order.  By  taking 
the  Book  and  opening  it,  is  signified  to  explore  the  states  of  life 
of  all,  and  to  judge  every  one  according  thereto,  as  above ;  there- 
fore hereby  his  taking  the  Book,  is  signified  to  be  about  to  exe- 
cute the  last  judgment;  and  as  the  last  judgment  is  executed 
for  the  purpose  of  reducing  all  things  to  order  in  the  heavens, 
and  l)y  the  heavens,  in  the  earths,  this  also  is  signified. 

275.  The  four  animals  and  the  four-and-twenty  elders  fell 
down  hefore  the  Lamh,  signifies  humiliation,  and  from  humilia- 
tion, adoration  of  the  Lord  from  the  superior  heavens.  Now 
follows  the  glorification  of  the  Lord  on  the  above  account,  for, 
as  was  observed  above,  n.  263,  did  not  tlie  Lord  accomplish  the 
last  judgment  at  this  time,  and  thereby  reduce  all  things  in  the 
heavens  and  in  the  earths  to  order,  all  would  perish.  The  glo- 
rification of  the  Lord,  which  now  follows,  takes  place  first  in 
the  superior  heavens,  afterwards  in  the  inferior  heavens,  and 
lastly  in  the  lowest  heavens  ;  the  glorification  by  the  superior 
heavens,  verses  8,  9,  10,  by  the  inferior  heavens,  verses  11,  12, 
and  by  the  lowest  heavens,  verse  13,  and  lastly  confirmation  and 
adoration  by  the  superior  heavens,  verse  14.  Thert'f)re  the 
superior  heavens  are  signified  by  the  four  animals  and  the  four- 
and-twenty  elders;  for  by  the  cherubs,  who  are  the  four  ani« 

193  s 


276,  277  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         [Cliap.  V. 

mals  "in  tlie  midst  of  the  tlirone,"  is  signified  the  Lord  as  to  the 
Word,  but  by  the  cherubs,  or  four  animals  "  round  about  the 
throne,"  is  signified  heaven  as  to  the  Word  ;  for  it  is  said,  "That 
in  the  midst  of  the  throne,  and  round  about  the  throne,  were 
seen  four  animals,  full  of  eyes  before  and  behind,"  iv.  6  ;  for 
the  heavens  are  heavens  by  virtue  of  the  reception  of  divine 
truth  through  the  Word  from  the  Lord.  By  the  four-and- 
twenty  elders  are  also  signified  the  angels  in  the  superior  hea- 
vens, because  those  elders  were  proximately  about  the  throne, 
iv.  4.  That  to  fall  down  before  the  Lamb  denotes  humiliation, 
and,  from  humiliation,  adoration,  is  evident. 

276.  Having  every  one  of  them  hmys,  signifies  a  confession 
ot  the  Lord's  Divine  Humanity  from  spiritual  truths.  It  is  well 
known  that  confessions  of  Jehovah  were  made  in  the  temple  at 
Jerusalem  by  singing,  and  at  the  same  time  by  instruments  of 
music,  which  corresponded  ;  the  instruments  were  principally 
trumpets  and  timbrels,  ai;d  psalteries  and  harps ;  the  trumpets 
and  timbrels  corresponded  to  celestial  goods  and  truths,  and  the 
psalteries  and  harps  to  spiritual  goods  and  truths ;  the  correspon- 
dences were  with  their  sounds.  What  celestial  good  and  truth 
is,  and  \yJiat  spiritual  good  and  truth,  may  be  seen  in  the  work 
concerning  Heaven  and  Hell,  n.  13 — 19,  and  20,  28.  That  harps 
signify  confessions  of  the  Lord  from  spiritual  truths,  may  appear 
from  these  passages  :  "  Praise  Jehovah  with  the  hai'p,  sing  unto 
him  with  the  psaltery,  and  an  instrument  of  ten  strings,"  Fsalm 
xxxiii.  2,  3.  "  I  will  praise  thee  on  the  harp,  O  God,  ray  God," 
Psalm  xliii.  3,  4.  "  I  will  also  j^raise  thee  with  the  psaltery,  I 
will  sing  unto  thee  with  the  hai'p,  O  thou  Holy  One  of  Israel," 
Psalm  Ixxi.  22.  "Awake  psaltery  and  harp^  I  will  sing  unto 
thee  among  the  nations,  O  Lord,"  Psalm  Ivii.  8,  9  ;  Psalm  cviii. 
2,  3.  "  Sing  unto  Jehovah  with  thanksgiving,  sing  praise  upon 
the  harp  unto  our  God,"  Psalm  cxlvii.  7.  "It  is  a  good  thing 
to  give  thanks  to  Jehovah — upon  the  psaltery,  and  upon  the  harj) 
with  a  solemn  sound,"  Psalm  xcii.  2 — 4.  "Make  a  joyful 
noise  unto  Jehovah,  all  the  earth,  sing  unto  Jehovah  with  the 
harjp,  with  the  harp  and  the  voice  of  a  psalm,"  Psalm  xcviii.  4 — 
6  :  and  in  many  other  places  ;  as  Psalm  xliii.  4;  Psalm  cxxxvii, 
2;  Job  XXX.  31 ;  Isaiah  xxiv.  7 — 9;  xxx.  31,  32  ;  Apoc.  xiv.  2  , 
xviii.  22.  Because  the  harp  corresponded  to  confession  of  the 
Lord,  and  evil  spirits  could  not  endure  it,  therefore  David  by  the 
Jixirp  caused  the  evil  spirit  to  depart  from  Saul,  1  Sam.  xvi.  14 
— 16, 23.  That  they  were  not  harps,  but  that  confessions  of  the 
Lord  were  heard  by  John  as  harps,  may  be  seen  below,  n.  661. 

277.  And  golden  vials  fidl  of  incense,  signifies  confession 
of  the  Lord's  Divine  Humanity  from  spiritual  good.  The  reason 
why  incense  signifies  worship  from  spiritual  goods,  but  in  this 
instance  confession  from  such  goods,  is,  because  the  principal 
"Worship  in  the  Jewish  and  Israelitish  church  consisted  in  the 

194 


V.   8. J  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  279 

offering  oi  sacrinces  and  incenso  ;  wlierefore  there  were  two 
altars,  one  tor  saciifices  and  the  otlier  for  incense;  the  hitter 
altar  was  wiiJiin  the  tabernacle,  and  was  called  the  golden  altar, 
hut  the  former  Avas  without  the  tahernacle,  and  was  called  the 
altar  of  burnt  oifernigs ;  the  reason  was,  because  there  are  two 
kinds  of  good,  from  which  all  Avorship  exists,  celestial  orood  and 
spiritual  good  ;  celestial  good  is  the  good  of  love  to  tlie  Lord, 
and  spiritual  good  is  the  good  of  love  towards  our  neighbour; 
worshi])  by  sacrifices  was  worship  from  celestial  good,  and  wor- 
8hi)>  by  incense  was  worship  from  sjjiritual  good.  AVhcthcr  you 
call  it  worship  or  confession,  it  amounts  to  the  same  thing,  for 
all  worship  is  confession.  AVliat  is  signified  by  incense,  is  also 
signified  by  the  vials  in  which  the  incense  is  contained,  because 
the  thing  containing  and  the  thing  contained,  like  the  instru- 
mental and  principal,  act  as  one  cause.  Worship  from  spiritual 
good  is  signified  by  incense  in  the  following  places  :  "For  from 
the  rising  of  the  sun  even  unto  the  going  down  of  the  same,  my 
i\anie  shall  be  great  among  the  Gentiles,  and  in  every  jilace 
incense  shall  be  offered  unto  my  name,"  Malachi  i.  11.  "They 
shall  teach  Jacob  thy  judgments,  and  Israel  thy  law  :  they  shall 
put  incense  before  thee,  and  whole  burnt  sacrifice  upon  thine 
altar,"  Deut.  xxxiii.  10.  "  I  will  ofl'er  unto  thee  burnt-sacri- 
fices of  fatlings,  with  the  incense  of  rams,"  Psalm  Ixvi.  13,  15. 
"  And  they  shall  come  from  the  cities  of  Judah,  bringing  1)urnt- 
offerings,  and  sacrifices,  and  meat  oft'erings,  and  incense,''^  Jerem. 
xvii.  2(3.  "All  they  from  Sheba  shall  come;  they  shall  bring 
gold  and  incense,  and  they  shall  show  forth  the  praises  of  Jeho- 
vah," Isaiah  Ix.  6.  By  frankincense  the  same  is  signified  as  by 
incense,  because  frankincense  was  the  principal  aromatic  used  in 
offering  incense.  Therefore  it  is  said  in  Matthew,  that  the  wise 
men  from  the  east  opened  their  treasures,  and  offered  to  the 
Lord,  then  an  infant,  '■^  go\i\,  fy'ankincense,  and  myrrh,"  ii.  11. 
The  reason  why  they  offered  these  three,  was,  because  g-old 
signified  celestial  good,  frankincense  spiritual  good,  and  myrrli 
natural  good,  and  from  those  three  goods  all  worship  is  derived. 
9,7S.  Which  are  the  prayers  of  saints^  signifies  thoughts 
which  are  of  faith,  grounded  in  affections  which  are  of  charity, 
with  those  who  worship  the  Lord  from  spiritual  good  and  truth. 
13y  prayers  are  meant  the  things  which  are  of  faith,  and  at  the 
same  tinie  the  things  which  are  of  charity,  with  those  who  pour 
forth  prayers,  because  prayers  without  such  things  are  not 
prayers,  but  empty  sounds.  That  saints  mean  those  who  are  in 
spiritual  goods  and  truths,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  173.  The 
reason  why  incense  is  called  the  prayers  of  saints,  is,  because 
fi-agrant  odours  correspond  to  affections  of  good  and  truth; 
hence  it  is,  that  "  a  grateful  odour  or  sweet  savour,"  and  an 
"  odour  of  rest  to  Jehovah,"  so  often  occur  in  the  Word  ;  as  in 
Exod.  xxix.  10,  25,  41  ;  Lcvit.  i.  9,  13,  17  ;  ii.  2,  9,  10;  iii.  5; 
195 


279  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         [Chap.  V. 

iv.  31  ;  vi.  8,  15  ;  viii.  28  ;  xxiii.  8,  13,  18  ;  xxvi.  31  ;  l^mnh. 
XV.  7 ;  xxix.  2,  6,  8,  13,  36  ;  Ezek.  xx._  41 ;  Hosea  xiv.  7. 
Prayers  which  are  called  incense  have  a  simihir  signification  in 
the  following  places  in  the  Apocalypse  :  An  angel  stood  at  the 
altar  having  a  golden  vial,  "  and  tliere  was  given  unto  him 
much  incense,  that  he  should  offer  it  with  the  p^'ayers  of  all 
saints  upon  the  golden  altar: — And  tlie  smoke  of  the  incense^ 
with  the  jprayer^ of  the  saints,  ascended  up  before  God  out  of 
the  angel's  hand,"  viii.  3 — 5 :  and  in  the  Psalms  of  David : 
"  Give  ear  unto  'my  voice ;  let  my  jpi^ayer  be  set  forth  before 
thee  as  incense^''  cxli.  1,  2. 

279,  And  they  sung  a  new  song,  signifies  an  acknowledg- 
ment and  glorification  of  the  Lord,  that  he  alone  is  the  Judge, 
Redeemer,  and  Saviour,  thus  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth. 
These  things  are  contained  in  the  song  which  they  sung,  and 
the  things  which  are  contained  are  also  signified ;  as  an  acknow- 
ledgment that  the  Lord  is  the  Judge  in  this  :  "Thou  art  worthy 
to  t^ke  the  Book,  and  to  open  the  seals  thereof:"  that  he  is  the 
Kedeemer,  in  this :  "  Because  thou  wast  slain,  and  hast  re- 
deemed us  in  thy  blood  :"  that  he  is  the  Saviour,  in  this:  "Thou 
hast  made  us  unto  our  God  kings  and  priests,  and  we  shall  rei^n 
upon  the  earth :"  that  he  is  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth,  ii: 
this  :  "They  fell  down  and  worshipped  him  that  liveth  for  ever 
and  ever,"  verse  14.  Since  the  acknowledgment  of  the  Lord 
alone  as  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  of  the  Divinity  of 
his  Humanity,  and  that  in  no  other  way  could  lie  be  called  a 
Redeemer  and  Saviour,  was  not  before  in  the  church,  it  is 
therefore  denominated  a  new  song.  The  reason  why  a  song  also 
signifies  glorification,  which  is  confession  from  joy  of  heart,  is, 
because  singing  exalts,  and  causes  afi:'ection  to  break  out  from  the 
heart  into  sound,  and  show  itself  intensely  in  its  life.  Nor  are 
the  Psalms  of  David  any  other  than  songs  ;  for  they  were  set 
to  music  and  sung,  and  therefore  were  also  called  songs  in  many 
places  ;  as  in  Psalm  xviii.  1  ;  Psalm  xxxiii.  1,  2  ;  Psalm  xlv.  1 ; 
Psalm  xlvi.  1 ;  Psalm  xlviii.  1 ;  Psalm  Ixv.  1 ;  Psalm  Ixvi.  1  ; 
Psalm  Ixvii.  1;  Psalm  Ixviii.  1;  Psalm  Ixxv.  1;  Psalm  Ixxxi. 
1 ;  Psalm  Ixxxvii.  1 ;  Psahn  Ixxxviii.  1 ;  Psalm  xcii.  1 ;  Psalm 
xcvi.  1 ;  Psalm  xcviii.  1  ;  Psalm  cviii.  1 ;  Psalm  cxx.  1 ;  Psalm 
exxi.  1 ;  Psalm  cxxii.  1 ;  Psalm  cxxiii.  1 ;  Psalm  cxxiv.  1 ; 
Psalm  cxxv.  1;  Psalm  cxxvi.  1;  Psalm  cxxvii.  1;  Psalm 
cxxviii.  1  ;  Psalm  cxxix.  1 ;  Psalm  cxxx.  1 ;  Psalm  cxxxii.  1 ; 
Psalm  cxxxiii.  1 ;  Psalm  cxxxiv.  1.  That  songs  were  used  for 
the  sake  of  exalting  the  life  of  love,  and  the  joy  derived  from 
it,  is  evident  from  the  following  passages :  "  O  sing  unto  Jeho- 
vah a  new  song,  make  a  joyful  noise  unto  Jehovah  all  the 
earlli,  make  a  loud  noise  and  rejoice,"  Psalm  xcviii.  1,  4 — 8. 
^'■Sing  unto  Jehovah  a  new  so7ig, — let  Israel  rejoice  in  Him  that 
made  liim,  let  them  praise  his  name  in  the  dance,"  Psalm  cxlix 
196 


V.  9. J  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  280,  281 

1 — 3,  "  Sing  unto  Jehovah  a  new  song^ — lift  np  the  voice," 
Isaiah  xlii.  10,  12.  '■''Sing^  O  ye  heavens,  shout  jc  h)\ver  parts  of 
the  earth,  hreak  forth  into  singing,  ye  mountains,"  Isaiah  xliv, 
23  ;  xlix.  13.  "  Sing  akiud  unto  God  our  strenijtli,  make  a  joy- 
ful noise  unto  the  God  of  Jacob.  Take  apsabn,^^  Psahn  Ixxxi.  2 
— L  "  Joy  and  gladness  shall  be  found  in  Zion,  thanksgiving 
and  the  voice  of  7nelody"  Isai-dh  li.  3  ;  lii.  8,  9.  "  Sing  unto  Je- 
hovah,— cry  out  and  shout,  thou  inhabitant  of  Zion,  for  great  is 
tlie  Holy  One  of  Israel  in  the  midst  of  thee,"  Isaiah  xii.  1 — 6. 
"  My  heart  is  fixed,  I  will  sing  and  give  praise.  Awake  up, 
my  o-lory,  I  will  praise  thee,  O  Lord,  among  the  nations,  I  will 
sing  unto  thee  among  the  people,"  Psalm  Ivii.  8 — 10 :  and  in 
many  other  places. 

280.  Saying^  Thou  art  worthy  to  take  the  Booh^  and  to  open 
the  seals  thereof,  signities  that  he  alone  can  know  the  states  of 
life  of  all,  and  judge  every  man  according  to  his  own  state 
respectively,  as  above,  n.  256,  259,  261,  267,  273. 

281.  For  thou  wast  slain,  and  hast  redeemed  us  to  God  hy 
thy  Hood,  signifies  deliverance  from  hell,  and  salvation  by  con- 
junction with  him.  It  is  not  necessary  to  explain  by  the  spir- 
itual sense  what  is  specifically  signified  by  all  the  particulars 
here  mentioned,  as  what  by  being  slain,  by  redeeming  us  to 
God,  and  what  by  his  blood,  for  tliey  are  arcana  which  do  not 
appear  in  the  literal  sense;  suffice  it  to  know  that  it  is  redemp- 
tion which  is  thus  described ;  and  since  it  is  redemption  it  is 
deliverance  from  hell,  and  salvation  by  conjunction  with  the 
Lord,  which  are  signified.  Here  it  shall  only  be  confirmed 
from  the  Word,  that  Jehovah  himself  came  into  the  world,  was 
born  a  man,  and  became  the  lledeemer  and  Saviour  of  all,  who 
by  a  life  of  charity  and  its  faith  are  in  conjunction  with  his 
Divine  Humanity,  and  that  Jehovah  is  the  Lord  from  eternity, 
consequently  that  the  Divine  Humanity  of  the  Lord,  with  which 
there  must  be  conjunction,  is  the  Divine  Humanity  of  Jehovah 
himself.  Now  therefore  some  passages  shall  be  adduced,  which 
prove  that  Jehovah  and  the  Lord  are  one;  and  since  they  are 
one  and  not  two,  that  the  Lord  from  eternity,  who  is  Jehovah 
himseir,  by  the  assumption  of  the  Humanity,  bt;came  the  Ee- 
deemer  and  Saviour:  this  is  evident  from  the  following  places: 
"  Thou,  O  Jehovah,  art  our  Father,  our  Redeemer;  thy  name 
is  from  everlasting,"  Isaiah  Ixiii.  16.  "Thus  saith  the  King  of 
Israel  and  his  Redeemer,  Jehovah  of  Hosl^,  I  am  the  First  and  I 
am  the  Last,  and  besides  me  there  is  no  God,"  Isaiah  xliv.  6. 
"Thus  saitli  Jehovah  thy  Redeemer,  and  he  that  formed  thee; 
I  am  Jehovah  that  maketh  all  things — alone  by  myself,"  Isaiah 
xliv.  24..  "Thus  saith  Jehovah  thy  Redeemer,^  the  Holy  One  oi 
Israel,  I  2im  Jehovah  thy  God,"  Isaiah  xlviii.  17.  ''Jehovah 
my  Rock  and  my  Redeemer,''''  Psalm  xix.  14.  "Their  Re- 
deemer is  strong,  Jehovah  of  Hosts  is  his  name,"  Jercm.  1.  34. 

197 


882  THE    APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Cliap.  V. 

^^  Jehovah  of  Hosts  is  his  name,  and  tlij  I^edeemer  the  Holy  One 
of  Israel,  the  God  of  the  whole  earth  shall  he  be  called,"  Isaiah 
llv,  5.  "And  all  flesh  shall  know  that  I  Jehovah  am  thy 
Saviour  and  thy  Redeemer^  the  Mighty  One  of  Jacob,"  Isaiah 
xlix.  26  ;  Ix.  16.  "  As  fo.r  our  Redeemer^  Jehovah  of  Hosts  is 
his  name,"  Isaiah  xlvii.  4.  "  With  everlasting  kindness  will  I 
have  mercy  on  thee,  saith  Jehovah  thy  Redeemer^^  Isaiah  liv.  8. 
"  Thus  saith  Jehovah  your  Redeemer^  the  Holy  One  of  Israel," 
Isaiah  xliii.  14.  "  Thus  saith  Jehovah  the  RedceTner  of  Israel 
and  his  Holy  One,"  Isaiah  xlix.  7.  "  Thou  hast  redeemed  me, 
Jehovah  God  of  truth,"  Psalm  xxxi.  5.  "  Let  Israel  hope  in 
Jehovah^  for  with  him  there  is  plenteous  redemption^  and  he 
shall  redeem,  Israel  from  all  his  iniquities,"  Psalm  cxxx.  7,  8. 
"  Arise,  [O  Lord,]  for  our  help,  and  redeem  us  for  thy  mercy's 
sake,"  JPsalm  xliv.  26,  Thus  saith  Jehovah  God,  "  I  will  ran- 
Hom  them  from  the  power  of  the  grave,  I  will  redeem  them  from 
death,"  Hosea  xiii.  4,  14.  "  Jehovah  shall  hear  my  voice,  he 
shall  redeem  my  soul,"  Psalm  Iv.  IT,  18.  Also  in  Psalm  xlix. 
15;  Psalm  Ixix.  18;  Psalm  Ixxi.  23;  Psalm  ciii.  1,  4;  Psalm 
cvii.  2 ;  Jerem.  xv.  20,  21.  That  the  Lord  as  to  his  Hu- 
manity is  the  Redeemer,  is  not  denied  in  the  church,  because  it 
is  according  to  Scripture,  and  the  following  passages  :  "  Who  is 
this  that  Cometh  from  Edom,  travelling  in  the  greatness  of  his 
strength  ? — and  the  year  of  my  redeemed  is  come.  He  redeemed 
them,"  Isaiah  Ixiii.  1,  4,  9.  "Say  ye  to  the  daughter  of  Zion, 
Behold,  thy  salvation  cometh,  behold,  his  reward  is  with  him, — • 
and  they  shall  call  them,  The  Holy  People,  the  Redeemed  of 
Jehovah^''  Isaiah  Ixii.  11,  12.  "  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God  of 
Israel,  for  he  hath  visited  and  redeemed  his  people,"  Luke  i. 
68 :  besides  other  places.  Many  other  passages,  proving  that 
the  Lord  from  eternity,  who  is  Jehovah  himself,  came  into  the 
world,  and  took  ujDon  him  humanity,  in  order  to  redeem  man- 
kind, may  be  seen  in  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  coiv- 
cerning  the  Lord^  n.  37 — 46.  Moreover  Jehovah  is  called  the 
Saviour  in  many  places,  which  cannot  be  adduced  by  reason  of 
their  abundance. 

282.  Out  of  every  trihe,  and  tongue^  and  jpeojple^  and  nation^ 
signifies  that  they  in  the  church  or  in  any  religion,  who  are  in 
truths  as  to  doctrine,  and  in  good  as  to  life,  are  redeemed  by 
the  Lord.  By  tribe  is  signified  the  church  as  to  religion ;  by 
tongue  is  signified  its  doctrine,  of  which  we  shall  speak  pres- 
ently ;  by  people  are  signified  they  who  are  in  truths  of  doc- 
trine, and,  abstractedly,  truths  of  doctrine,  n.  483;  and  by 
naf!on  are  signified  they  who  are  in  the  good  of  life,  and, 
abstractedly,  good  of  life,  n.  483 ;  from  hence  it  appears  that 
by  these  words,  "  Out  of  every  tribe,  and  tongue,  and  people, 
and  nation,"  such  things  are  signified  as  were  said  above  ;  see 
also  n.  627.  It  shall  now  be  proved  that  tongue,  in  the  spir- 
198 


r.  9,  10.]  TlIE   APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  2S3,  284 

itual  sense,  signifies  the  doctrine  of  the  church,  or  of  any  reh- 
gion  ;  this  is  evident  from  the  following  places  :  "  My  tongue. 
also  shall  talk  of  thy  righteousness  all  the  day  long,"  Psalm 
Ixxi.  24.  "Then  shall  the  lame  leap  as  a  hart,  and  the  tongue 
of  the  dumb  shall  sing,  for  in  the  Avilderness  shall  v.'aters  break 
out,"  Isaiali  xxxv,  6.  "The  tongue  of  the  stammerers  shall  be 
ready  to  speak  plainly,"  Isaiah  xxxii.  4.  It  appears  as  if,  in 
these  instances,  by  tongue  was  meant  speech,  but  in  the  spir- 
itual sense  that  wlrich  is  spoken  is  understood,  wliicli  is  truth 
of  doctrine,  which  they  will  have  from  the  Lord.  In  like  man- 
ner, "  I  have  sworn, — That  unto  me  every  knee  shall  bow,  and 
every  tongue  shall  swear,"  Isaiah  xlv.  23.  "  It  shall  come, 
that  I  will  gather  all  nations  and  tongues^  and  they  shall  como 
and  see  my  glory,"  Isaiali  Ixvi.  18.  "  In  those  days  it  shall  come 
to  pass  that  ten  men  out  of  all  languages  of  the  nations,  shall 
take  hold  of  the  skirt  of  him  that  is  a  Jew,  saying,  We  will  go 
with  you,  for  we  have  heard  that  God  is  with  you,"  Zech.  viii. 
23 ;  speaking  of  the  conversion  of  the  Gentiles  by  the  Lord  to 
the  truth  of  doctrine.  But  by  tongues,  in  an  opposite  sense, 
are  signified  false  doctrines  in  the  following  places  :  "  Let  not 
an  evil  speaker  be  eiitablished  in  the  earth,"  Psalm  cxl.  1. 
'•  Thou  shalt  keep  them  secretly  in  a  pavilion  from  the  strife  of 
tongues^"*  Psalm  xxxi.  20.  "  Lo,  I  will  bring  a  nation  upon 
you, — whose  language  thou  knowest  not,"  Jerem.  v.  15,  16. 
"To  be  sent  to  a  people  of  a  hard  language^''  Ezek.  iii.  5,  6. 
To  a  people  of  a  "  stammering  tongue^''  Isaiah  xxxiii.  19.  It 
must  be  observed  that  tongue,  as  an  organ,  signifies  doctrine, 
but,  as  speech,  it  also  signifies  religion.  He  who  knows  that 
a  tongue  signifies  doctrine,  may  understand  what  is  meant  by 
those  words  which  the  rich  man  in  hell  addressed  to  Abraham, 
that  he  would  send  Lazarus  that  he  might  "  dip  the  tip  of  his 
finger  in  water,  and  cool  his  tongue^  and  not  be  tormented  with 
the  flame,"  Luke  xvi.  24.  Water  signifies  truth,  and  tongue, 
doctrine ;  by  the  falses  of  which  doctrine  he  was  tormented, 
and  not  by  the  flame;  for  no  one  in  hell  is  in  flames,  but  flames 
there  are  appearances  of  the  love  of  falsit}^ ;  whilst  fire  is  an 
appearance  of  the  love  of  evil. 

283.  And  hast  made  us  unto  our  God  hmgs  and  priests, 
eignifies  that  from  the  Lord  they  are  in  wisdom  from  divine 
truths  and  in  love  from  divine  good,  and  thus  images  of  his 
divine  wisdom,  and  of  his  divine  love;  as  above,  n.  20,  21. 

284.  And  we  shall  reign  on  the  earth,  signifies,  and  will  be 
in  his  kingdom,  he  in  them  and  they  in  him.  P.y  reigning  on 
the  earth,  nothing  else  is  meant,  than  being  in  the  Lord's  king- 
dom, and  there  one  with  him,  according  to  these  words  of  the 
Lord:  "That  all  who  believe  in  me,  may  be  one i  and  may  be 
one  as  thou  Father  art  in  me  and  I  in  thee,  that  they  also  may 
be  one  in  us:  And  the  glory  which  thou  gavest  me  I  nave  given 

199 


285  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Cliap.  V. 

tliem,  tliat  tliey  may  be  ojie  even  as  we  are  one,  I  in  tliem  and 
thou  in  me,  that  where  I  am,  they  also  may  be  with  me,"  John 
xvii.  20 — 24.  As,  therefore,  they  are  thus  one  with  the  Lord, 
and,  together  with  the  Lord,  constitute  a  kingdom  which  is 
called  the  kingdom  of  God,  it  is  evident  that  nothing  else  is 
signified  hy  their  reigning.  The  term  reign  is  mentioned, 
because  it  was  before  said,  "Thou  hast  made  us  kings  and 
1  riests ; "  and  by  kings  are  signified  they  who  are  in  wisdom 
by  means  of  divine  truths  from  the  Lord ;  and  by  priests,  they 
Avho  are  in  love  by  means  of  divine  good  from  him,  n.  20; 
hence  it  is  that  the  kingdom  of  the  Lord  is  also  called  "  the 
kingdom  of  the  saints,''  Dan.  vii.  18,  27 ;  and  it  is  said  of  the 
apostles,  that  together  "with  the  Lord  they  should  judge  the 
twelve  tribes  of  Israel,"  Matt.  xix.  28;  although 'the  Lord 
alone  judges  and  reigns  ;  for  he  judges  and  reigns  from  divine 
good  by  divine  truth,  which  is  also  from  him  in  them  ;  but  who 
believes,  that  what  is  in  them  from  the  Lord  is  their  own,  is 
cast  out  of  the  kingdom,  or,  what  is  the  same  thing,  out  of 
lieaven.  The  signification  of  reigning  is  the  same  in  the  fol- 
lowing passages  in  the  Apocalypse:  "They  shall  be  priests  of 
God  and  of  Christ,  and  shall  7'eign  with  him  a  thousand  years," 
XX.  6 :  and  concerning  those  who  are  to  enter  into  the  JSTew 
Jerusalem,  it  is  said:  "The  Lamb  shall  enlighten  them,  and 
they  shall  re{g?i  for  ever  and  ever,"  xxii.  6. 

285.  It  is  said.  They  shall  reign  on  the  earth,  because  by 
earth  here  and  in  other  places  is  meant  the  Lord's  church  in 
the  heavens  and  on  the  earths;  the  church,  wherever  it  may  be, 
is  the  Lord's  kingdom.  Lest,  therefore,  any  one  should  believe 
that  all  who  are  redeemed  by  the  Lord  become  kings  and 
priests,  and  that  they  will  reign  on  the  earth,  it  must  be  proved 
from  the  Word  that  the  earth  signifies  the  church ;  this  may 
appear  from  the  following  passages:  "  Behold,  Jehovah  maket'h 
the  earth  empty,  and  maketh  it  waste,  and  turneth  it  upside 
down  :  the  land  shall  be  utterly  emptied.  The  ea7'th  mourneth 
and  fadeth  away;  the  earth  also  is  defiled  under  the  inhabi- 
tants thereof  Therefor'^  hath  the  curse  devoured  the  earth, 
therefore  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  are  burned,  and  few  men 
left.  When  this  shall  be  in  the  midst  of  the  land  these  shall  be 
as  the  shaking  of  an  olive  tree.  The  windows  from  on  high  are 
open,  and  the  foL  .dati.  ns  of  the  earth  do  shake.  The  earth  is 
utterly  broken  down  ;  the  earth  is  clean  dissolved ;  the  earth  is 
moved  exceedingly.  The  earth  shall  reel  to  and  fro  like  a 
drunkard,"  Isaiah  xxiv.  1 — 23.  "The  lion  is  come  up  from  his 
thicket  to  make  thy  land  desolate :  I  beheld  the  earth,  and  lo, 
it  was  without  form  and  void ;  Thus  saith  Jehovah,  The  whole 
land  shall  be  desolate,  for  this  shall  the  earth  mourn,"  Jerem. 
iv.  7,  23 — 28.  "How  long  shall  the  land  mourn?  the  whole 
land  is  made  desolate,  because  no  man  layeth  it  to  heart," 
200 


V.  10,  11.]        THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALFD.  285 

Jerem.  xj.  4,  11 — 13.  "The  earth  monrneth  and  laiiguislietli, 
Lebanon  is  ashamed  and  hewn  down,"  Isaiah  xxxiii.  9. 
"  And  the  land  shall  become  burninji^  pitch,  and  shall  lie 
waste,"  Isaiah  xxxiv.  9,  10.  "I  have  heard  from  the  Lord  of 
Hosts  a  consum]>tion  even  determined  npon  the  whole  eartli^^ 
IsaiaJi  xxviii.  2,  22.  "  Behold,  the  day  of  Jehovah  Cometh,  to 
lay  the  land  desolate,  and  the  earth  shall  remove  out  of  her 
place,"  Isaiah  xiii.  9,  13.  "Then  the  earth  shook  and  trem- 
bled, and  the  foundations  also  of  the  hills  moved,"  Psalm  xviii. 
7,  8.  "  Theref.ire  will  we  not  fear  though  the  earth  be  re- 
moved;  he  uttereth  his  voice,  the  earth  melted,"  Psalm  xlvi.  3 
— 7,  9.  "  Have  ye  not  understood  from  the  foundations  of 
the  earth .?"  Isaiah  xl.  21,  23.  "  O  God,  thou  hast  cast  us  off, 
— thou  hast  made  the  earth  to  tremble;  heal  the  breaches 
thereof,  for  it  shaketh,"  Psalm  Ix.  2,  4.  "The  earth  and  all 
the  inhabitants  thereof  are  dissolved  ;  I  bear  up  the  pillars  of 
it,"  Psalm  Ixxv.  3,  4.  "Woe  to  the  land  shadowing  with 
wings  :  Go  ye  swift  messengers  to  a  nation  scattered  and 
peeled,  whose  land  the  rivers  have  spoiled,"  Isaiah  xviii.  1,  2, 
'•  Through  the  wratli  of  Jehovah, — the  land  is  darkened,"  Isaiah 
ix.  19.  "For  ye  shall  be  a  delightsome  land^''  Malachi  iii.  12. 
"I  will  give  thee  for  a  covenant  of  the  people,  to  establish  the 
earth  ;  Sing,  O  heavens,  and  be  joyful,  O  earth^""  Isaiah  xlix.  8, 
13.  "  I  shall  not  see  the  Lord  in  the  land  of  the  living," 
Isaiah  xxxviii.  11.  "  Which  caused  terror  in  the  land  of  the 
living,"  Ezek.  xxxii.  23 — 27.  "  Unless  I  had  believed  to  see 
the  goodness  of  Jehovah  in  the  landoi  the  living,"  Psalm  xxvii. 
13.  "  Blessed  are  the  meek,  for  they  shall  inherit  the  earth^'' 
Matt.  V.  5.  "  I  am  Jehovah  that  maketli  all  things,  that 
stretcheth  forth  the  heavens  alone  ;  that  spreadeth  abroad  the 
earth  by  myself,"  Isaiah  xliv.  23,  24;  Zech.  xii.  1 ;  Jerem.  x. 
11 — 13;  li.  15;  Psalm  cxxxvi.  6.  "Let  the  earth  open  and 
bring  forth  salvation ;  thus  saith  Jehovah,  who  created  the 
heavens  and  formed  the  earths^  Isaiah  xlv.  8,  12,  18,  19. 
"  Behold,  I  create  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth^''  Isaiah  Ixv. 
17;  Ixvi.  22;  besides  many  other  places,  which,  if  they  were 
adduced,  would  fill  a  volume.  The  reason  why  the  earth  sig- 
nilics  the  church,  is,  because,  in  many  instances,  it  means  the 
land  of  Canaan,  in  which  the  church  was  planted  ;  the  heavenly 
Canaan  is  no  o<-her ;  as,  also,  beca'^'se  when  the  earth  is  named, 
the  angels,  who  are  spiritual,  do  not  think  of  the  earth,  but  of 
the  lumian  race  that  inhabit  it  and  of  their  spiritual  state,  and 
their  spiritual  state  is  the  state  of  the  church.  Tlie  earth  has 
also  an  opposite  sense,  and  in  that  it  signifies  damnation,  be- 
cause when  there  is  no  church  in  man,  there  is  (hunnation  ;  in 
this  sense  the  earth  is  mentioned  in  Isaiah  xiv.  12  ;  xxi.  9  ;  xxvi. 
19,  21 ;  xxix.  4;  xlvii.  1 ;  Ixiii.  G  ;  Lanient.  ii.  10  ;  Ezek.  xxvi, 
20  ;  xxxii.  24 ;  Numb.  xvi.  29 — 33 ;  xxvi.  10  ;  and  m  other  places. 
201 


286,  287  THE    APOCALYPSE   KEVEALED.  [Cliap.  V 

286.  And  I  heheld,  and  I  heard  the  voice  cf  many  angels 
round  about  the  throne^  and  the  animals  and  the  elders^  signi- 
fies a  confession  and  glorification  of  the  Lord  by  the  angels  of 
the  inferior  heavens.  That  there  was  a  confession  and  glorifi- 
cation of  the  Lord  by  the  angels  of  the  three  heavens,  may  be 
seen  above,  n.  275  ;  and  by  the  angels  of  the  superior  heavens, 
from  verse  8  to  10  ;  and  therefore  now  by  .the  angels  of  the  in- 
ferior heavens,  verses  11,  12 ;  wherefore  by  the  voice  of  the 
angels  round  about  the  throne,  is  meant  the  confession  and 
glorification  of  the  Lord  by  the  angels  of  the  inferior  heavens. 
On  this  occasion  he  saw  also  the  animals  and  elders  together 
with  them,  because  by  the  animals  and  elders  are  signified  the 
angels  of  the  superior  heavens,  n.  275,  and  the  inferior  heavens 
never  act  separately  from  the  superior  heavens,  but  in  conjunc- 
tion with  them;  for  the  Lord  infiuences  all  the  heavens  imme- 
diately from  himself;  thus  also  the  inferior  heavens :  and  his 
influence  is  at  the  same  time  mediately  through  the  superior 
heavens  into  the  inferior.  This  is  the  reason,  therefore,  why  he 
first  saw  and  heard  the  animals  by  themselves,  and  afterwards  in 
conjunction  with  the  others. 

287.  And  the  nuvfiber  of  them  was  myriads  of  m^yriads^  and 
thousands  of  thousands,  signifies  all  in  truths  and  in  good.  By 
number,  in  the  natural  sense,  is  meant  that  which  has  relation 
to  measure  or  weight,  but  by  number,  in  the  sj^iritual  sense,  that 
which  has  relation  to  quality  :  and  here  their  quality  is  described 
by  their  being  myriads  of  myriads,  and  thousands  of  thousands, 
for  a  myriad  is  predicated  of  truths,  and  a  thousand  of  goods. 
The  reason  why  a  myriad  is  predicated  of  truths,  and  a  thou- 
sand of  goods,  is  because  a  myriad  is  the  greater  number,  and  a 
thousand  a  less,  and  truths  are  manifold,  but  goods  are  simple ; 
and  because  where  truths  are  treated  of  in  the  Word,  goods  are 
treated  of  also,  on  account  of  the  marriage  of  good  and  truth 
existing  in  every  particular,  otherwise  it  would  have  been  sufii- 
cient  to  have  said  myriads  of  myriads.  Since  these  two  num- 
bers have  such  a  signification,  they  are  mentioned  also  in  other 
places,  as  in  the  following :  "  The  chariots  of  God  are  tioo  my- 
riads, even  thousands  of  angels,  the  Lord  is  amongst  them  as 
in  Sinai  in  the  holy  place,"  Psalm  Ixviii.  17.  "  I  beheld,  and 
the  Ancient  of  Days  did  sit,  thousand  thousands  ministered 
unto  him,  and  myriads  of  myriads  stood  before  him,"  Dan.  vii. 
9,  10.  Moses  saith  of  Joseph,  "  His  horns  are  like  the  horns 
of  unicorns,  with  them  he  shall  push  the  people  together  to  the 
ends  of  the  earth  ;  and  they  are  the  myriads  of  Ephraim,  and 
the  thousands  of  Manasseh,"  Dent,  xxxiii.  17.  ''Thou  shalt 
not  be  afraid  for  the  pestilence  that  walketh  in  darkness,  nor 
for  the  destruction  that  wasteth  at  noon-day,  a  thousand  shall 
fall  at  thy  side,  and  a  myriad  at  thy  right  hand,"  Psalm  xci.  5 
— 7.     "  That  our  sheep  may  bring  forth  thousands  and  m^yriads 

202 


V.  11,  12.]         TUE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.  288  2bd 

in  our  streets,"  Psalm  cxliv.  13.  "Will  Jehovah  be  pleased 
with  thousands  of  rams,  or  with  inyriads  of  rivers  of  oil  ?" 
Micah  vi.  7.  When  the  ark  rested,  Moses  said,  "  lleturii,  Je- 
hovah, unto  the  myriads  of  tlie  thousands  of  Israel,"  Numb.  x. 
36.  In  all  these  places  myriads  are  spoken  of  truths,  and  thou- 
sands of  <2;oods. 

288.  Saying  with  a  loud  voice,  Worthy  is  the  Lamh  that  was 
slain  to  receive  power,  and  inches,  and  wisdom,  and  honour,  and 
alory,  signifies  confession  from  the  heart,  that  to  the  Lord  as  to 
liis  Divine  Humanity  belong  omnipotence,  omniscience,  divine 
good,  and  divine  truth.  To  say  with  a  loud  voice,  signihes  con- 
fession from  the  heart :  thou  art  worthy,  signifies  that  in  him 
are  the  things  which  follow  ;  a  Lamb  signifies  the  Lord  as  to 
the  Divine  Humanity;  power  signifies  divine  power,  which  is 
omnipotence ;  riches,  and  wisdom,  signify  divine  knowledge 
and  wisdom,  which  are  omniscience  ;  honour  and  glory,  signify 
divine  good  and  divine  truth.  Tliat  riches  signify  knowledges 
of  what  is  good  and  true,  and  thus  science,  may  be  seen  above, 
n.  206  ;  therefore,  when  said  of  the  Lord,  they  signify  om  nisei' 
euce ;  and  that  honour  and  glory,  when  spoken  of  the  Lord, 
signify  divine  good  and  divine  truth,  see  above,  n.  249. 

289.  And  hlessing,  signifies  all  these  things  in  him,  and  from 
him  in  them.  By  blessing  is  meant  every  good  which  man  re- 
ceives from  the  Lord,  or  power  and  opulence,  and  all  that  is 
implied  by  them  ;  but  especially  every  spiritual  good,  or  love 
and  wisdom,  charity  and  faith,  and  the  joy  and  felicity  result- 
ing from  them,  which  constitute  eternal  life  ;  and  since  all  these 
are  from  the  Lord,  it  follows  that  they  are  in  him,  for  if  the^ 
were  not  in  him,  they  could  not  be  in  others  from  him  :  hence  it 
is,  that,  in  the  Word,  the  Lord  is  called  the  Blessed,  and  also 
Blessing,  that  is,  Blessing  Itself.  That  Jehovah,  or  the  Lord, 
is  called  the  Blessed,  is  evident  from  these  places  :  "  The  high 
priest  asked  Jesus,  Art  thou  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  Blessed  V 
Mark  xiv.  61.  Jesus  said,  "  Ye  shall  not  see  me  henceforth, 
till  ye  shall  say.  Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord,"  Matt,  xxiii  39  ;  Luke  xiii.  35.  Melchisedek  blessed 
Abram,  and  said,  "  Blessed  be  the  most  hidi  God,  who  hath 
delivered  thine  enemies  into  thy  hand,"  Gen.  xiv.  18 — 20. 
"  Blessed  be  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Shem,"  Gen.  ix.  26.  "  Bless- 
ed be  Jehovah,  because  he  hath  heard  my  voice,"  Psalm  xxviii. 
6.  "  Blessed  be  Jehovah,  for  he  hath  showed  me  his  nuirvel- 
lous  kindness,"  Psalm  xxxi.  21.  "  Blessed  l)e  Jehovah,  God  of 
Israel,  from  everlasting  to  everlasting,"  Psalm  xli.  13.  In  like 
manner,  Psalm  Ixvi.  20  ;  Psalm  Ixviu.  19,  35  ;  Psalm  Ixxii.  18, 
19  ;  Psalm  Ixxxix.  52  ;  Psalm  cxix.  12  ;  Psalm  cxxiv.  6  ;  Psalm 
cxxxv.  21  ;  Psalm  cxliv.  1 ;  Luke  i.  68.  This  is  the  reason  why 
blessing  is  here  mentioned,  as  also  verse  12,  and  vii.  12  ;  and 
likewise  in  the  Psalms  of  David  :  "  Glory  and  honour  dost  thou 

203 


290  THE   APOCALYPSE   KEVEALED.  [Chap.  V, 

lay  upon  him,  for  thou  hast  made  him  Blessing  for  ever,"  Psalm 
xxi,  5,  6  :  speaking  of  the  Lord.  Hence  it  may  be  seen  what 
is  meant  in  the  Word  by  blessing  God,  namely,  to  ascribe  to 
him  all  blessing ;  also  to  pray  that  he  would  bless,  and  to  give 
thanks  for  having  blessed  ;  as  may  appear  from  the  following 
passages  :  The  mouth  of  Zacharias  was  opened,  and  he  spake, 
olessing  God,  Luke  i.  64,  68.  Simeon  took  up  the  infant  Jesus 
in  his  arms,  and  blessed  God,  Luke  ii.  28,  30,  31.  "  I  will  Hess 
Jehovah,  who  hath  given  me  counsel.  Psalm  xvi.  Y.  O  "  hless 
the  name  of  Jehovah,  show  forth  his  salvation  from  day  to  day," 
Psalm  xcvi.  1 — 3.  "  Blessed  be  the  Lord  from  day  to  day, 
hless  ye  God  in  the  congregations,  even  the  Lord  from  the  foun- 
tain of  Israel,"  Psalm  Ixviii.  19,  26. 

290.  And  every  creature  which  is  in  heaven,  and  on  the  earth, 
and  under  the  earth,  and  such  as  are  in  the  sea,  and  all  that  are 
in  them,  heard  I  saying,  signifies  confession  and  glorification  of 
the  Lord  by  the  angels  of  the  lowest  heaven.  That  this  is  a 
confession  and  glorification  of  the  Lord  by  the  angels  of  the 
lowest  heaven,  is  evident  from  the  series,  because  the  confes- 
sions and  glorifications  of  the  Lord  before  mentioned,  were  by 
the  angels  of  the  superior  and  inferior  heavens,  n.  275,  and  fol- 
lowing numbers,  286,  and  following  numbers ;  for  there  are 
three  heavens,  and  innumerable  societies  in  each,  and  each  of 
them  is  called  a  heaven.  That  by  every  creature  which  is  in 
heaven,  and  on  the  earth,  and  under  the  earth,  and  in  the  sea, 
are  meant  angels,  is  evident,  for  it  says,  "  heard  I  saying,"  and 
they  said,  "  Blessing,  and  honour,  and  glory,  and  power,  be 
unto  Him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne  and  unto  the  Lamb  for 
ever  and  ever."  Their  being  called  creatures  is  conformable 
to  the  style  of  the  Word,  in  which,  by  all  created  things,  as  well 
those  which,  belong  to  the  animal  kingdom  as  those  which  be- 
long to  the  vegetable  kingdom,  are  signified  various  things  in 
man,  in  general  such  things  as  belong  to  his  will  or  aftection, 
and  such  as  pertain  to  his  understanding  or  thought ;  for  they 
signify  such  things,  because  they  correspond ;  and  since  the 
Word  is  written  by  mere  correspondences,  similar  things  are 
said  of  the  angels  of  heaven  and  men  of  the  church  ;  in  proof 
of  which  a  few  passages  only  shall  be  adduced,  which  are  as 
follows  :  Jesus  said  unto  his  disciples,  "  Go  ye  into  all  the  world, 
and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature,^^  Mark  xvi.  15.  "  Ask 
now  the  leasts,  and  they  shall  teach  thee  ;  and  the  fowls  of  the 
air,  and  they  shall  tell  thee  ;  or  speak  to  the  earth,  and  it  shall 
teach  thee,  and  the  Jishes  of  the  sea  shall  declare  unto  thee ; 
who  knoweth  not  in  all  these,  that  the  hand  of  Jehovah  hath 
wrought  this  ?"  Job  xii.  7,  10.  "  Let  the  heaven  and  earth 
praise  Jehovah,  the  seas,  and  every  thing  that  creepeth  therein^ 
for  God  will  save  Zion,"  Psalm  Ixix.  34,  35.  "  Praise  Jehovali 
from  the  earth,  ye  dragons  and  all  deejps^''  Psalm  cxlviii.  7.  "J 
204 


V.  13.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.  291 

will  utterly  consume  all  things  from  off  tlie  land,  I  will  con- 
sume mayi  and  heast,  I  will  consume  the  foivJs  of  the  heaven, 
and  the  fishes  of  the  sea,"  Zei)li,  i.  2,  3,  The  same  in  Isaiali 
].  2,  3  ;  Ezek.  xxxviii.  19,  20;  Ilosea  iv.  2,  3  ;  Apoc.  viii.  T — 9. 
"  Let  the  heavens  rejoice,  and  the  earth  be  glad  ;  let  the  sea 
roar,  and  the  fulness  thereof;  let  the  field  be  joyful,  and  all  that 
is  therein ;  then  shall  all  the  trees  of  the  wood  rejoice  before 
Jehovah;  for  he  cometh,  for  he  cometli  to  judge  the  earth^"* 
Psalm  xcvi.  11 — 13 :  and  in  many  other  places.  It  is  said 
every  created  thing,  by  which  is  meant  every  reformed  thing, 
or  all  the  reformed,  for  to  create  signifies  to  reform  and  regen- 
erate, n.  25-1.  AVliat  is  meant  by  "  in  heaven,  in  the  earth,  and 
under  the  earth,"  may  be  seen  above,  n.  2G0  ;  and  wliat  by  the 
sea,  n.  238  ;  hence  it  is  evident  what  is  signified  by  such  things 
as  are  in  the  sea,  and  all  that  are  in  them ;  these  things  are 
meant  in  the  Word  by  fishes  of  the  sea,  which  are  the  sensual 
affections,  these  being  the  lowest  affections  of  the  natural  man, 
for  in  the  spiritual  world  such  affections  appear  at  a  distance 
like  fishes,  and  as  if  they  were  in  the  eea,  because  the  atmosphere 
in  whicli  they  are,  appears  watery,  and  therefore  to  those  who 
are  in  the  heavens  and  on  the  earth  there,  seems  like  a  sea,  as 
may  be  seen  above,  n.  238,  and  concerning  fishes,  n.  405. 

291.  Blessing,  and  honour,  and  glory,  and  power,  he  unto 
Him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne  arid  unto  the  Lamb  for  ever 
and  ever,  signifies  that  in  the  Lord  from  eternity,  and  thence 
in  his  Divine  Humanity,  is  the  all  of  heaven  and  the  church, 
divine  good,  and  divine  truth,  and  divine  power,  and  from  him 
in  those  wlio  are  in  heaven  and  in  tlie  church.  That  the  Lord 
from  eternity  is  Jehovah,  who  took  upon  him  the  liuman  nature 
in  time,  that  he  might  redeem  and  save  mankind,  may  be  seen 
above,  n,  281 ;  therefore  by  Him  tliat  sat  upon  the  throne,  is 
meant  tlie  Lord  from  eternity,  Avho  is  called  the  Father,  and  by 
the  Laml:),  the  Lord  as  to  the  Divine  Humanity,  wln'cli  is  the 
Son  ;  and  because  the  Father  is  in  the  Son,  and  the  Son  in  the 
Father,  and  they  are  one,  it  is  evident  that  by  botli,  or  by  Him 
that  sat  upon  tlie  throne  and  the  Lamb,  the  Lord  is  meant ; 
and  because  they  are  one,  it  is  said  that  tlie  Lamb  also  was  in 
the  midst  of  the  throne,  verse  G ;  also  vii.  17.  That  blessing, 
when  spoken  of  the  Lord,  is  tlie  all  of  heaven  and  of  tlie 
church  HI  him  and  from  him,  in  those  who  are  in  heaven  and  in 
the  church,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  289.  That  honour  and  glory 
are  divine  good  and  divine  truth,  may  also  be  seen  above,  n. 
249  :  and  that  strength,  when  spoken  of  the  Lord,  is  divine 
power,  is  evidc^it.  That  all  these  are  the  Lord's,  may  a])])ear 
from  what  is  said  in  Daniel :  "  Behold,  one  like  the  Son  of  Man 
came  to  the  Ancient  of  Days  j  and  there  was  given  him  domin- 
ion, and  glory,  and  the  kingdom,  that  all  peo})le,  nations,  and 
languages,  should  serve  him  :  his  dominion  is  an  everlasting 
2G-J 


292 294  THE    Al'OCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Chup.  V. 

dominion,  Svhich  shall  not  pass  away,  and  liis  kingdom  that 
v.diich  shall  not  be  destroyed^"  vii.  13,  14.  That  the  Anc^'ent 
of  Days  is  the  Lord  from  eternity,  appears  from  these  words  in 
Micah  :  "  But  thou,  Bethlehem  Ephratah,  though  thou  be  little 
among  the  thousands  of  Judah,  yet  out  of  thee  shall  He  como 
forth  unto  me,  that  is  to  be  ruler  in  Israel ;  and  whose  goings 
forth  have  been  from  of  old,  from  the  days  of  everlasting^''  v. 
2 :  as  also  from  these  in  Isaiah :  "  For  unto  us  a  Child  is  born, 
imio  us  a  Son  is  given,  and  the  government  shall  be  upon  his 
shoulde-r :  and  his  name  shall  be  called  Wonderful,  Counsellor, 
the  Mighty  God^  the  Everlasting  Father,  the  Prince  of  Peace," 
ix.  6. 

292.  And  the  four  animals  said,  A'lnen,  signifies  divine 
confirmation  from  the  Word.  That  the  four  animals  or  cherubs 
signify  the  AYord,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  239 ;  and  that  amen 
signifies  divine  confirmation  from  truth  itself,  n.  23,  28,  61,  thus 
from  the  Word. 

293.  And  the  four-and-twenty  elders  fell  dovjn  and  loor- 
shipped  Him  that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever,  signifies  humili- 
ation before  the  Lord,  and  from  humiliation,  adoration  of  him 
by  all  in  the  heavens,  in  whom  and  from  whom  is  everlasting 
life,  as  above,  n.  251,  and  n.  58,  60 

294.  To  the  above  I  will  add  this  Memorable  Kelation.  In 
the  natural  world  the  speech  of  man  is  twofold,  because  his 
thought  is  twofold,  exterior  and  interior ;  for  a  man  can  speak 
from  interior  thought  and  at  the  same  time  from  exterior 
thought,  and  he  can  speak  from  exterior  thought  and  not  from 
interior,  yea,  contrary  to  interior  thought,  whence  come  dis- 
simulation, flattery,  and  hypocrisy.  But  in  the  spiritual  world 
man's  speech  is  n^t  twofold,  but  single ;  a  man  there  speaks  as 
he  thinks,  otherwise  the  sound  is  harsh  and  offends  the  ear;  but 
yet  he  may  be  silent,  and  so  not  publish  the  thoughts  of  his 
mind  ;  a  hypocrite,  therefore,  when  he  comes  into  the  company 
of  the  wise,  either  goes  away,  or  retires  to  a  corner  of  the  room 
and  withdraws  himself  from  observation,  and  sits  silent.  On  one 
occasion  there  was  a  numerous  assembly  in  the  spiritual  world, 
who  were  discoursing  on  this  subject,  and  saying,  that  not  to  be 
able  to  speak  but  as  one  thinks,  must  be  a  hard  thing  for  those 
who  might  be  in  company  with  the  good,  but  yet  who  have  not 
thought  justly  concerning  God  and  the  Lord.  In  the  midst  of 
the  assembly  were  those  of  the  reformed  church,  and  many  of 
the  clergy,  and  next  to  them  were  papists  and  monks  ;  and 
they  all  at  first  said  that  it  M^as  not  a  hard  thing  at  all ;  "  What 
need  is  there  to  speak  otherwise  than  one  thinks,  and  if  one 
should  happen  not  to  think  justly,  can  he  not  shut  his  moutli 
and  keep  silence?"  And  one  of  the  clergy  said,  "Who  doea 
not  think  justly  of  God  and  the  Lord  ?"     But  some  of  the  com- 

20e 


/.  14.J  THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALEn.  204 

puny  said,  "  Let  lis  make  tlie  experiment."    And  tlicy  wlio  had 
continned  themselves  in  the  idea  of  a  trinity  of  persons  in  the 
Godhead,  especially  from  these  words  in  the  Athanasian  doc- 
trine, "  There  is  one  person  of  the  Father,  another  of  the  Son, 
and  another  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  and  as  the  Father  is  God,  so 
also  the  Son  is  God,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  is  God,"  were  desired 
to  say,  "  One  God  /"  but  they  could  not ;  they  distorted  and 
folded  their  lips  in  many  ways,  but  could  not  articulate  any 
other  words  than  such  as  Avere  consonant  with  the  ideas  of  their 
thought,  Avhich  were  ideas  of  three  persons,  and  thence  of  three 
godsT    They  who  had  confirmed  themselves  in  faith  separate 
from  charity,  were  then  desired  to  name  '■'■  Jesus  ;''^  but  they 
could  not ;   yet  they  could  all  say  Christ,  and  also  God  the 
Father.     This  they  were  surprised  at,  and  inquired  into  the 
cause,  which  they  found  to  be  this,  viz.,  that  they  had  prayed  to 
God  the  Father  "for  the  Son's  sake,  and  had  not  prayed  to  the 
Saviour  himself ;  for  Jesus  signifies  Saviour,     Tiiey  were  then 
desired,  by  thinking  of  the  Lord's  Divine  Ilunumity,  to  say, 
"  Divine  iluman  •"  but  none  of  the  clergy  that  were  present 
could  do  so,  though  some  of  the  laity  could,  wlierefore  the  mat- 
ter was  taken  into  serious  consideration  ;  and  then,  I.  The  fol- 
lowing texts  from  the  evangelists  were  read  to  them  :  "  The 
Father  hath  given  all  things'mio  the  Son's  hand,"  John  iii.  35. 
"  The  Father  hath  given  the  Son  power  over  all  flesh,"  John 
xvii.  2.     "  A\\  power  is  given  unto  me  in  heaven  and  in  earth," 
Matt,  xxviii,  18  ;  and  they  were  directed  to  keep  in  mind,  that 
Christ,  both  as  to  his  Divinity  and  as  to  his  Humanity,  is  the 
God  of  heaven  and  earth,  and   thus  to  pronounce  "  Divine 
Human  f  but  still  they  could  not ;  and  they  said   that  they 
were  thus  enabled,  indeed,  to  entertain  the  thought  of  it  by 
virtue  of  their  understanding  concerning  it,  but  not  the  ac- 
knowledgment, and  that  on  this  account  they  were  not  able. 
H.   Afterwards  was  read  to  them  out  of  Luke,  i.  32,  34,  35, 
that  the  Lord  as  to  the  human  nature  was  the  Son  of  Jehovah 
God,  and  that  every  where  in  the  AVord  he  is  called,  as  to  his 
Humanity,  the  Son  of  God,  and  also  the  Only-begotten,  and 
they  were  desired  to  keep  this  in  mind ;  and  likewise  that  the 
only-begotten  Son  of  God  born  in  the  world  cannot  but  be  God, 
as  the  Father  is  God,  and  to  utter  the  words,  '■''Divine  Iluman?^ 
But   they    said,   "  We    cannot,   by   reason    that    our   s])iritual 
thought,  which  is  interior,  does  not  admit  into  the  thought 
which  is  next  to  the  speech  any  other  than  similar  ideas,  and 
that  thence  they  could  perceive,  that  it  is  not  i)crmitted  them 
to  divide  their  thoughts,  as  it  was  in  the  natural  world."     HL 
Then  were  read  to  them  these  words  of  the  Lord  to  Philip : 
"  Philip  said.  Lord,  show  us  the  Father,  and  the  Lord  said.  He 
wlio  sceth  me  seeth  the  Father;  believest  thou  not  that  I  am 
in  the  Father,  and  the  Father  in  me?"  John  xiv.  8 — 11  .  and 
207 


294  THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.         [Chap.  V 

other  places;  as  "That  he  and  the  Father  are  one,"  Jolm  x.  30, 
and  the  like  ;  and  it  was  enjoined  them  to  keep  this  in  mind, 
and  say,  ^^  Divine  Human  f  but  as  their  thought  was  not 
rooted  in  the  acknowledgment  that  the  Lord  was  God  as  to  his 
human  nature  also,  therefore  they  could  not ;  they  twisted  and 
folded  their  lips  even  to  indignation,  and  would  have  forced 
their  mouths  to  utter  and  extort  it,  but  it  was  not  in  their 
power.  The  reason  was,  because  the  ideas  of  thought,  which 
llow  from  acknowledgment,  make  one  with  words  uttered  by 
the  tongue,  with  those  who  are  in  the  spiritual  world,  and  Avliere 
such  ideas  do  not  exist,  there  are  no  words,  for  ideas  become 
words  in  speaking.  lY.  Moreover  there  was  read  to  them  from 
the  doctrine  of  the  church  received  throughout  the  whole  world, 
the  following  passage,  taken  from  the  Athanasian  Creed ;  "That 
the  divine  and  human  nature  in  the  Lord  are  not  two  but  one, 
yea,  one  person,  united  altogether  like  soul  and  body ;"  and  it 
was  said  to  them,  From  this  you  may  possibly  have  an  idea 
grounded  in  the  acknowledgment  that  the  Lord's  human  nature 
is  divine,  seeing  that  his  soul  is  divine,  for  it  is  a  doctrine  of 
your  own  church,  acknowledged  by  you  when  in  the  world. 
Moreover  the  soul  is  essence  itself,  and  the  body  its  form,  and 
the  essence  and  form  make  one,  like  being  and  existence,  and 
like  the  efficient  cause  of  the  effect,  and  the  effect  itself;  they 
retained  that  idea,  and  were  wont  to  have  uttered  "  Divine 
Hitman  i''''  but  it  was  not  in  their  power;  for  their  interior  idea 
concerning  the  Lord's  Humanity  exterminated  and  expunged 
this  new  adventitious  idea,  as  they  called  it.  Y.  Again  there 
was  read  to  them  this  passage  out  of  John  :  "  The  Word  was 
with  God,  and  God  was  the  Word ;  and  the  Word  was  made 
flesh,"  i.  1,  14  ;  and  the  following  from  Paul :  "  Li  Christ  Jesus 
dwelleth  all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily,"  Coloss.  ii.  9 : 
and  they  were  desired  to  think  firmly,  that  God,  who  was  the 
AVord,  M'as  made  flesh,  and  that  every  thing  divine,  or  all  the 
divinity,  dwells  in  him  bodily,  as  they  might,  perhaps,  by  these 
means  be  able  to  pronounce  "  Divine  Human  f^  but  still  they 
could  not,  avowing  openly  that  they  could  not  entertain  an  idea 
of  a  divine  human  being,  because  God  is  God,  and  man  is  man, 
and  God  is  a  spirit,  and  of  a  spirit  we  have  never  thought  any 
otherwise  than  as  of  air  or  ether.  YI.  At  length  it  was  said  to 
them,  "  Ye  know  that  the  Lord  said,  '  Abide  in  me,  and  I  in 
you ;  he  who  abideth  in  me,  and  I  in  him,  the  same  beareth 
much  fruit,  for  without  me  ye  can  do  nothing,'"  John  xv.  4,  5. 
And  as  some  of  the  English  clergy  w^ere  present,  there  was  read 
to  them  this  passage  out  of  one  of  their  prayers  before  the  Holy 
Sacrament :  "  For  when  we  spiritually  eat  the  flesh  of  Christ, 
and  drink  his  blood,  then  we  dwell  in  Christ,  and  Christ  in  us." 
"  If  now  you  will  but  think  that  this  cannot  take  place,  except 
the  Lord's  Humanity  be  Divine,  you  may  pronounce  'Divine 
208 


Cliap.  v.]  THE   APOCALYrSE   KEVEALED.  294 

Human^  from  an  acknowledgment  in  tlionglit ;"  but  still  they 
could  not;  so  deeply  was  the  idea  impressed  on  their  minds  that 
the  Lord's  Divinity  was  one  thing  and  his  Humanity  another, 
and  that  his  Divinity  was  like  the  Divinity  of  the  Father,  and 
his  Humanity  like  the  humanity  of  another  man.  But  it  was- 
said  to  them,  "  How  can  you  entertain  such  a  thought?  Is  it 
posi^ible  for  a  ratioiuil  mind  ever  to  think  that  God  is  three,  and 
the  Lord  two  ?"  VIL  Afterwards  they  turned  to  the  Luther- 
ans, saying,  "That  thexVugustan  Confession,  and  Luther,  taught 
that  tlie  Son  of  God  and  the  Son  of  Man  in  Christ  are  one  per- 
son, and  that  he,  as  to  his  liunum  nature  also,  is  the  true,  omni- 
potent, and  eternal  God,  and  that  as  to  this  nature  also,  being 
present  at  the  right  hand  of  God  Almighty,  governs  all  things 
in  heaven  and  cjirth,  tills  all  things,  is  with  ns,  and  dwells  and 
operates  in  us ;  and  that  there  is  no  distinction  of  adoration, 
because  by  the  nature  which  is  seen,  the  divinity  which  is  not 
Been  is  adored,  thus  that  in  Christ  God  is  Man  and  Man  God." 
On  hearing  tbis,  they  said,  "  Is  it  so?"  And  they  looked  rouiul, 
and  i)resently  they  said,  '^'This  is  what  we  did  not  know  before, 
therefore  we  are  not  able."  But  one  or  two  of  thein  said, 
"  We  have  read  and  written  concerning  these  things,  but  yet 
when  we  thought  of  them  in  ourselves  from  ourselves,  they 
were  only  w^ords  of  which  we  had  no  interior  idea."  VIII.  At 
length,  turning  to  the  papists,  they  said,  "  Possibly  you  can 
name  the  '  Dimne  JLuiaan^  because  you  believe  that  in  your 
eucharist,  in  the  bread  and  wine  and  in  every  part,  there  is  tlie 
whole  of  Christ,  and  also  adore  him  as  God,  when  you  show  and 
carry  about  the  host ;  and  likewise  because  you  call  Mary  the 
mother  of  God,  consequently  you  acknowknlge  that  she  brought 
forth  God,  that  is,  the  Divine  Human."  They  then  attem])ted 
to  pronounce  it  from  those  ideas  of  their  thought  concerning 
the  Lord,  but  could  not,  by  reason  of  their  entertaining  a  mate- 
rial idea  of  his  body  and  blood;  and  by  reason  of  the  assertion 
that  the  human  and  not  the  divine  power  is  transferred  by  him 
to  the  pope.  Then  a  certain  monk  got  up,  and  said,  "  That  he 
coidd  think  of  the  Divine  Human,  from  the  most  Holy  Virgin 
Mary,  the  mother  of  God,  and  the  same  of  the  saint  of  his 
monastery."  And  another  monk  came,  and  said,  "  From  my 
idea  of  the  matter,  I  could  rather  call  his  holiness,  the  pope, 
the  divine  human,  than  Christ;"  but  then  some  other  monks 
pulled  him  back,  and  said,  "Are  you  not  ashamed  of  your- 
self?" After  this  heaven  Nvas  seen  open,  and  there  appeared 
tongues,  as  of  flame,  descending  and  influencing  some;  and 
they  then  celebrated  The  Divine  Humanity  of  the  Loud,  say- 
ing, "  Ilemove  the  idea  of  three  gods,  and  bc'lieve  that  in  the 
Lord  dwells  all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily,  and  that  the 
Father  and  he  are  one,  as  the  soul  and  body  are  one,  und  that 
God  is  not  air  or  ether,  but  that  he  is  a  Man,  and  then  you 
2<>9  o 


THE   APOCALYPSE    EEVl'ALED,  [Cliap.  Vl 

will  he  brouglit  into  conjunction  witli  heaven,  and  thereby 
liave  power  from  the  Lord  to  pronounce  the  name  of  '  Jesus,' 
and  utter  the  words  '  Divine  Human.' " 


CHAPTER  YI. 


1.  And  I  saw  when  the  Lamb  opened  one  of  the  seals,  and 
1  heard  one  of  the  four  animals  say,  as  with  a  voice  of  thunder, 
Come  and  see. 

2.  And  I  saw,  and  behold,  a  white  horse :  and  he  that  sat 
on  him  had  a  bow  ;  and  a  crown  was  given  unto  him  :  and  he 
went  forth  conquering  and  to  conquer. 

3.  And  when  he  had  opened  the  second  seal,  I  heard  the  sec- 
ond animal  say,  Come  and  see. 

4.  And  thei-e  went  out  another  horse  that  was  red,  and 
power  was  given  to  him  that  sat  thereon  to  take  peace  from  the 
earth,  and  that  they  sliould  kill  one  another :  and  there  was 
given  unto  him  a  great  sword. 

5.  And  when  he  had  opened  the  third  seal,  I  heard  the 
third  animal  say.  Come  and  see.  And  I  beheld,  and  lo,  a  black 
horse  ;  and  he  that  sat  on  him  had  a  pair  of  balances  in  his 
hand. 

6.  And  I  heard  a  voice  in  the  midst  of  the  four  animals  say, 
A  measure  of  wheat  for  a  penny,  and  three  measures  of  barley 
for  a  penny  ;  and  see  thou  hurt  not  the  oil  and  the  wine. 

7.  And  when  he  had  opened  the  fourtli  seal,  I  heard  the 
voice  of  the  fourth  animal  say.  Come  and  see. 

8.  And  I  looked,  and  behold,  a  pale  horse  :  and  his  name 
that  sat  on  him  was  Death,  and  hell  followed  with  him.  And 
power  was  given  unto  them  over  the  fourth  part  of  the  earth, 
to  kill  with  sword,  and  with  hunger,  and  with  death,  and  with 
the  beasts  of  the  earth. 

9.  And  when  he  had  opened  the  fifth  seal,  I  saw  under  the 
altar  the  souls  of  them  that  were  slain  for  the  Word  of  God, 
and  for  the  testimony  which  they  held. 

10.  And  they  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying.  How  long,  O 
Lord,  holy  and  true,  dost  thou  not  judge  and  avenge  our  blood 
on  them  tliat  dwell  on  the  earth  ? 

11.  And  white  robes  were  given  unto  every  one  of  them ; 
and  it  was  said  unto  them,  that  they  should  rest  yet  for  a  little 
Beason,  until  their  fellow-servants  also,  and  their  brethren,  that 
should  be  killed  as  they  were,  should  bo  fullilled. 

12.  And  I  beheld  when  he  opened  the  sixth  seal,  and  lo, 
there  was  a  great  earthquake  ;  and  the  sun  became  black  as 
Backcloth  of  hair,  and  the  moon  became  as  blood. 

210 


Chlip.   vi.]  THE    APOCAIA-PSE    EEVEALED, 

13.  And  the  stai-s  of  heaven  fell  unto  the  eartli,  even  as  a 
fig-tree  casteth  her  untimely  figs,  when  slie  is  shaken  of  a 
mighty  wind. 

14.  And  the  heaven  dejiarted  as  a  scroll,  when  it  is  rolled 
together  :  and  every  mountain  and  island  were  moved  out  ol 
their  places. 

15.  And  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  the  great  men,  and  the 
rich  men,  and  the  chief  captains,  and  the  mighty  men,  and 
every  bond-man,  and  every  free-man,  hid  themselves  in  the 
dens  and  in  the  rocks  of  the  mountains ; 

16.  And  said  to  the  mountains  and  rocks.  Fall  on  us,  and 
hide  us  from  the  face  of  Him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and 
from  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb  ; 

17.  For  the  great  day  of  his  wrath  is  come,  and  who  shall 
be  able  to  stand  ? 


THE  SPIRITUAL  SENSE. 


The  Contents  of  the  whole  Chapter.  The  subject  treated 
of  is  concerning  the  exploration  of  those,  on  wlioni  the  last 
judgment  is  to  be  executed ;  and  exploration  is  made  to  dis- 
cover the  quality  of  their  understanding  of  the  Word,  and 
thence  the  quality  of  their  state  of  life.  That  they  consisted  of 
sucli  as  were  in  truths  originating  in  good,  verses  1-  2  ;  of  such 
as  were  without  good,  verses  3,  4  ;  of  such  as  were  in  contempt 
of  truth,  verses  5,  6 ;  and  of  such  as  were  totally  devastated, 
both  as  to  good  and  truth,  verses  7,  8.  Of  the  state  of  those 
who  were  preserved  by  the  Lord  from  the  wicked  in  the  infe- 
rior earth,  and  were  to  be  delivered  at  the  time  of  the  last  judg- 
ment, verses  9,  10.  Of  the  state  of  those  M'ho  were  in  evils 
and  thence  in  falses,  the  nature  of  that  state  at  the  day  of  the 
last  judgment,  verses  12 — 17. 

The  Contents  of  each  Verse.  Y.  1,  "And  I  saw  Avheu 
the  Lamb  opened  one  of  the  seals,"  signifies  exploration  from 
the  Lord  of  all  those  upon  whom  the  last  judgment  was  about 
to  be  executed,  as  to  their  understanding  of  the  Word,  and 
thence  as  to  their  state  of  life :  "  And  I  heard  one  of  the  four 
animals  say,  as  with  a  voice  of  thunder,"  signifies,  according  to 
the  divine  truth  of  the  Word :  "  Come  and  see,"  signifies  a 
Humifestation  concerning  those  who  were  first  in  order:  v.  2, 
"  And  I  saw,  and  behold,  a  white  horse,"  signifies  the  under- 
Btanding  of  truth  and  good  from  the  Word  with  these:  "And 
he  that  sat  on  him  had  a  bow,'*  signifies  that  they  had  the  doc- 
trine of  truth  and  good  from  the  Word,  by  virtue  of  which  they 
fought  against  the  falses  and  evils  which  are  from  hell:  "  And  a 
211 


THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  [Chap.  Vl. 

crown  Avas  given  nnto  liim,"  signifies  his  token  of  combat: 
"  And  he  "went  forth  conqnering,  and  to  conqner,"  signifies  vic- 
tory over  evils  and  falses  to  eternity :  v,  3,  "  And  when  he  had 
opened  tlie  second  seal,  I  heard  the  second  animal  say,  Come 
and  see,"  signifies  the  same  here  as  above  :  v.  4,  "  And  there 
went  out  another  horse  that  was  red,"  signifies  the  understand- 
ing of  the  Word  destro3'^ed  as  to  good,  and  thence  as  to  life,  in 
these:  "And  power  was  given  to  him  that  sat  thereon  to 
take  peace  from  the  earth,"  signifies  the  taking  away  of  charity, 
spiritual  security,  and  internal  tranquillity  :  "  And  that  they 
should  kill  one  another,"  signifies  intestine  hatreds,  infestations 
from  the  hells,  and  internal  restlessness:  "And  there  was  given 
unto  him  a  great  sword,"  signifies  the  destruction  of  truth  by 
falses  of  evil :  v.  5,  "  And  when  he  had  opened  the  third  seal,  I 
heard  the  third  animal  say.  Come  and  see,"  signifies  the  same 
here  as  above  :  "  And  I  beheld,  and  lo,  a  black  horse,"  signifies 
the  understanding  of  the  Word  destroyed  in  these  as  to  truth, 
and  thus  as  to  doctrine:  "And  he  that  sat  on  him  had  a  pair 
of  balances  in  his  hand,"  signifies  the  estimation  of  good  and 
truth,  of  what  kind  it  was  with  these :  v.  6,  "  And  I  heard  a 
voice  in  the  midst  of  the  four  animals  say,"  signifies  the  divine 
protection  of  the  Word  by  the  Lord  :  "  A  measure  of  wheat  for 
a  penny,  and  three  measures  of  barley  for  a  penny,"  signifies, 
because  the  estimation  of  good  and  truth  is  so  small  as  scarcely 
to  amount  to  any  thing  :  "  And  see  thou  hurt  not  the  oil  and 
the  wine,"  signifies  that  it  is  provided  by  the  Lord,  that  the 
holy  goods  and  truths  which  lie  interiorly  concealed  in  the 
Word,  shall  not  be  violated  and  profaned  :  v.  7,  "And  when  he 
had  opened  the  fourth  seal,  I  heard  the  voice  of  the  fourth  ani- 
mal say,  Come  and  see,"  signifies  the  same  here  as  above  :  v.  8, 
"And  I  looked,  and  behold,  a  pale  horse,"  signifies  the  under- 
standing of  the  Word  destroyed  both  as  to  good  and  as  to 
truth :  "  And  his  name  that  sat  on  him  was  Death,  and  hell 
followed  with  him,"  signifies  the  extinction  of  spiritual  life  and 
thence  damnation  :  "  And  power  M-as  given  unto  them  over  the 
fourth  part  of  the  earth,  to  kill,"  signifies  the  destruction  of  all 
good  in  the  church  :  "  With  sword,  and  with  hunger,  and  with 
death,  and  with  the  beasts  of  the  earth,"  signifies  by  falses  of 
doctrine,  by  evils  of  life,  by  the  love  of  self,  and  by  lusts  :  v, 
9,  "  And  when  he  had  opened  the  fifth  seal,"  signifies  explora- 
tion from  the  Lord  into  the  state  of  life  of  those  who  were  to 
be  saved  at  the  day  of  the  last  judgment,  and  were  in  the  mean 
time  reserved  :  "I  saw  under  the  altar  the  souls  of  them  that 
were  slain  for  the  Word  of  God,  and  for  the  testimony  which 
they  held,"  signifies  those  who  were  rej.ected  by  the  wicked  on 
account  of  their  life  being  conformable  to  the  truths  of  the 
AVord,  and  their  acknowledgment  of  the  Lord's  Divine  Human- 
ity, and  who  were  guarded  by  the  Lord  that  they  might  no* 
212 


Chap,  vi.]        THE  APOCALYPSE  EEVEALED. 

be  seduced  :  v.  10,  "And  they  cried  witli  aloud  voice,"  sijj^nifieg 
grief  of  heart :  "  Sayino:,  How  long,  O  Lord,  holy  and  true, 
dost  thou  not  judge  and  avenge  our  blood  on  them  that  dwell 
on  the  earth?"  signifies  by  reason  that  the  last  judgment  was 
protracted,  and  that  tliey  who  otter  violence  to  the  AVord  and 
to  the  Lord's  Divine  Humanity  were  not  removed  :  v,  11,  '"And 
white  robes  were  given  unto  every  one  of  tliem,"  signities  their 
communication  and  conjunction  with  angels  who  are  in  divine 
truths  :  ''  And  it  was  said  unto  them,  that  they  should  rest  yet 
for  a  little  season,  until  their  fellow-servants  also,  and  their  bre- 
thren, that  should  be  killed  as  they  wei-e,  should  be  fultilled," 
signifies  that  tlie  last  judgment  should  yet  be  protracted  a  little, 
till  they  sliould  be  collected,  who  should  be  rejected  in  like 
manner  by  the  wicked:  v.  12,  "And  I  beheld,  when  he  had 
opened  the  sixth  seal,"  signifies  exploration  from  the  Lord  of 
their  state  of  life,  who  were  interiorly  evil,  upon  whom  the  last 
judgment  was  to  be  executed:  "And  lo,  there  was  a  great 
earthquake,"  signifies  the  state  and  terror  of  the  church  with 
those  totally  changed :  "  And  the  sun  became  black  as  sack- 
cloth of  hair,  and  the  mooTi  became  as  blood,"  signifies  the 
adulteration  of  all  the  good  of  love  in  them,  and  the  falsifica- 
tion of  all  the  truth  of  faith :  v.  13,  "  And  the  stars  of  heaven 
fell  unto  the  earth,"  signifies  the  dispersion  of  all  the  know- 
ledges of  good  and  truth :  "  Even  as  a  fig-tree  casteth  her  un- 
timely figs,  when  she  is  shaken  of  a  mighty  Avind,"  signifies  by 
the  ratiocination  of  the  natural  man  separated  from  the  spirit- 
ual :  V.  14c,  "  And  the  heaven  departed  as  a  scroll  when  it  is 
rolled  together,"  signifies  separation  from  heaven  and  conjunc- 
tion with  hell  :  "  And  every  mountain  and  island  were  moved 
out  of  their  places,"  signifies  that  all  the  good  of  love  and  truth 
of  faith  departed  :  v.  15,  "And  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  the 
great  men,  and  the  rich  men,  and  the  chief  captains,  and  the 
mighty  men,  and  every  bond-man,  and  every  free-man,"  signi- 
fies those  who,  before  separation,  were  in  the  understanding  of 
truth  and  good,  in  the  science  of  the  knowledges  thereof,  in 
erudition,  either  from  others  or  from  themselves,  and  yet  not  in 
a  life  conformable  thereto  :  "  Hid  themselves  in  the  dens  and 
in  the  rocks  of  the  mountains,"  signifies  that  they  were  now  in 
evils  and  in  falses  of  evil :  v.  16,  "And  said  to  the  mountains 
and  rocks.  Fall  on  us,  and  hide  us  from  the  face  of  Ilim  that 
sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  from  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb,"  signifies 
confirmations  of  evil  by  means  of  falsity  and  of  falsity  from 
evil,  until  they  did  not  acknowledge  any  divinity  in  the  Lord: 
V,  17,  "  For  the  great  day  of  his  wrath  is  come,  and  who  shali 
be  able  to  stand  ?"  signifies  that  they  were  made  such  of  them- 
selves by  separation  from  the  good  and  faithful  on  account  of 
the  liwt  judgment,  which  otherwise  they  would  not  be  able  to 
abide. 
213 


295 — 298         THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.        [Chap.  \i. 


THE  EXPLANATION 

295.  And  I  saw  when  the  Lamh  opened  one  of  the  seals,  sig- 
nifies exploration  from  the  Lord  of  all  those  upon  whom  the 
last  judgment  was  about  to  be  executed,  as,  to  their  understand- 
ing of  the  Word,  and  thence  as  to  their  state  of  life.  This  is 
signified,  because  now  follows  in  order  the  exploration  of  all 
upon  whom  the  last  judgment  was  about  to  be  performed,  as  to 
their  states  of  life,  and  this  from  the  Lord  according  to  the  Word. 
Such  then  is  the  signification  of  the  Lamb's  opening  the  seals 
of  the  Book.  That  to  open  the  Book,  and  loose  the  seals  thereof, 
eignifies  to  know  the  states  of  the  life  of  all,  and  to  judge  every 
one  according  to  his  own  respectively,  may  be  seen  above,  n, 
259,  265,  266,  267,  273,  274. 

296.  And  I  heard  one  of  the  four  animals  say,  as  with  a 
voice  of  thunder,  signifies  according  to  the  divine  truth  of  the 
Word.  That  by  the  four  animals,  or  cherubs,  is  understood  the 
Word,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  239,  275,  286,  and  by  a  voice  of 
thunder,  the  perception  of  divine  truth,  n.  236.  It  is  here  said 
a  voice  of  thunder,  because  by  this  animal  is  meant  the  lion,  by 
which  is  signified  the  divine  truth  of  the  Word  as  to  its  power, 
n.  241 ;  hence  it  is,  that  this  animal  is  said  to  have  spoken  as 
with  a  voice  of  thunder ;  for  it  is  said  afterwards,  that  the  second 
animal  spake,  then  the  third,  and  the  fourth. 

297.  Come  and  see,  signifies  a  manifestation  concerning  those 
who  were  first  in  order.  It  has  been  observed  above,  that  in 
this  chapter  is  described  the  exploration  of  all  upon  whom  the 
last  judgment  was  to  be  executed,  as  to  their  states  of  life,  and 
this  from  the  Lord  according  to  the  Word,  n.  295  ;  here  there- 
fore is  described  the  exploration  of  the  first  in  order,  as  to  their 
understanding  of  the  Word,  and  consequent  state  of  life.  That 
the  church  exists  from  the  Word,  and  that  the  nature  and  qual- 
ity of  every  church  is  determined  by  the  understanding  it  has 
of  the  Word,  may  be  seen  in  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusa- 
lem concerning  the  Sacred  Scripture^  n.  76 — 79. 

298.  And  I  saw,  and  behold,  a  white  horse,  signifies  the 
understanding  of  truth  and  good  from  the  Word  with  these. 
By  horse  is  signified  the  understanding  of  the  Word,  and  by  a 
white  horse  the  understanding  of  truth  from  the  Word ;  for 
white  is  predicated  of  truths,  n.  167.  That  a  horse  signifies  the 
understanding  of  the  Word,  is  shown  in  a  particular  tract  con- 
cerning The  White  Horse  ^  but  as  a  few  passages  only  are  there 
quoted,  others  shall  be  here  adduced  by  way  of  further  confir- 
mation. This  is  very  manifest  indeed,  from  the  circumstance 
of  h-orses  being  seen  to  go  out  of  the  Book  which  the  Lamb  had 
opened,  and  from  the  animals  saying.  Come  and  see ;  for  by 
the  animals  is  signified  the  Word,  n.  239,  275,  286;  so  likewise 

214 


V.  1,  2.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  208 

by  the  Book,  n.  257 ;  and  l)y  the  Son  of  Man,  who  is  here  the 
Lamb,  tlie  Lord  as  to  the  Word,  n.  44.  Fi-oiu  these  considera 
tions  it  is  at  once  evident,  that  nothin*]^  is  liere  meant  by  horse 
bnt  tlie  nnderstandiiiix  of  the  Word.  This  may  appear  moro 
manifestly  still  from  the  following  passages  in  the  Apocalypse: 
"  I  saw  lieaven  opened,  and  behokl,  a  white  horse,  and  lie  that 
sat  npon  hiin  is  called  the  Word  of  God,  and  he  hath  on  his 
Tcstnre  and  on  his  thigh  a  name  written,  King  of  kings  and 
Lord  of  hjids.  And  his  armies  in  tlie  heavens  followed  him 
npon  white  Aw\9<?«,"  xix.  11,  13,  14,  16.  That  a  horse  signities 
the  understanding  of  the  Word,  may  also  appear  from  the  fol- 
lowing })laces  :  "  Was  thy  wrath  against  the  sea,  O  Jehovali, 
that  thon  didst  ride  npon  thijie  horses,  and  thy  chariots  of  sal- 
vation ?  Thon  didst  walk  throngh  the  sea  with  thi?ie  horses, 
throngh  the  heap  of  great  waters,"  Ilabak.  iii.  8,  15.  Jehovah's 
horses'  hoofs  are  connted  like  flint,  Isaiah  v.  28.  "  In  that 
day — I  will  smite  every  ha?'se  with  astonishment,  and  his  rider 
with  madness, — and  will  smite  eve)'y  horse  of  the  ])eople  with 
blindness,"  Zcch.  xii,  4.  "  In  that  clay  there  shall  be  npon  the 
bells  of  the  horses,  holiness  nnto  Jehovah,"  Zcch.  xiv.  2U.  "Be- 
canse  God  hath  deprived  her  of  wisdom,  neither  hath  imparted 
to  her  nnderstanding.  What  time  she  lifteth  up  herself  on  high 
she  scorneth  the  horse  and  his  rider,"  Job  xxxix.  17,  18.  "And 
I  will  cnt  off  the  horse  from  Jernsalejn, — and  he  shall  speak 
peace  to  the  heathen,"  Zech.  ix.  10.  "At  thy  rebnke,  O  God 
of  Jacob,  both  the  chariot  and  horse  are  cast  into  a  dead  sleep," 
Psalm  Ixxvi.  6.  "And  I  will  overthrow  the  throne  of  king- 
doms, and  I  will  overthrow  the  chariots  and  those  that  ride  in 
them,  and  the  horses  and  their  riders  shall  come  down,"  Ilaggai 
ji.  22.  "And  with  thee  will  I  destroy  kingdoms  ;  and  with  thee 
will  I  break  in  pieces  the  horse  and  his  rider,"  Jerem.  li.  20,  21. 
Gather  yonrselves  on  every  side  to  my  sacrifice  ; — thns  shall 
ye  be  filled  at  my  table  with  horses  and  chariots,  and  I  will  set 
my  glory  among  the  nations,"  Ezek.  xxxix.  17,  20,  21.  "  Ga- 
ther yonrselves  together  unto  the  supper  of  the  great  God ; 
that  ye  may  eat  the  Hesli  of  horses,  and  of  them  that  sit  on 
them,"  Apoc.  xix.  17,  18.  "  Dan  shall  be  a  serpent  by  the  Avay, 
that  biteth  the  horse  heels,  so  that  his  rider  shall  fall  backward. 
I  have  waited  for  thy  salvation,  O  Jehovah,"  Gen.  xlix.  17,  18. 
"  Gird  thy  sword  upon  thy  thigh,  O  most  Mighty,  and  ride 
j)rosperonsly  because  of  truth,"  Psalm  xlv.  3,  4.  "  Sing  unto 
God,  extol  Ilim  that  rideth  on  the  heavens,"  Psalm  Ixviii.  5.. 
"  Behold,  Jehovah  rideth  upjL)n  a  swift  cloud,''  Isaiah  xix.  1,  2 
Sing  praises  nnto  the  Lord  which  '•'•rideth  npon  the  heaven  of 
heavens  which  were  of  old,"  Psalm  Ixviii.  34.  God  rode  upon 
a  cherub,  Psalm  xviii.  10.  "Then  shalt  thou  delight  thyself  in 
Jehovah,  and  I  will  cause  thee  to  ride  upon  the  high  places 
of  the  earth,"  Isaiah  Iviii.  14  "  Jehovah  alone  did  lead  him« 
215 


298  THE   APOCALYI-SE   KEVEALED.  [Cliap.  Vl. 

and  made  liiui  to  ride  upon  tlie  liigli  places  of  tlie  earth,"  Deut. 
xxxii.  12,  13.  "  I  will  make  Ephraiin  to  ride^^''  Hosea  x.  11. 
Ephraiin  also  signifies  the  understanding  of  the  Word.  Be- 
cause Elijah  and  Elisha  represented  the  Lord  as  to  the  Word, 
therefore  they  were  called  the  chariot  of  Israel  and  his  horse 
men  :  Elisha  said  to  Elijah,  "  My  father,  my  lather,  the  chariot 
of  Israel  and  the  horsemen  thereof,"  2  Kings  ii.  12  ;  and  king 
joash  said  to  Elisha,  "  O  my  father,  the  chariot  of  Israel  and  the 
hwseinen  thereof,"  2  Kings  xiii.  14.  "  Jehovah  opened  the 
eye8  of  Elisha's  young  man,  and  he  saw  ;  and,  behold,  the 
mountain  was  full  of  horses  and  chariots  of  lire  round  about 
Elisha,"  2  Kings  vi,  17.  A  chariot  signifias  doctrine  drawn 
from  the  Word,  and  a  horseman,  one  that  is  wise  by  means  of 
it.  The  same  is  signified  by  ilxefour  chariots  which  came  out 
from  between  the  mountains  of  brass,  and  by  theybwr  horses'vn. 
them,  which  were  red,  black,  white,  and  grisled,  which  are  also 
called  the  four  spirits,  and  are  said  to  have  gone  forth  from 
standing  before  the  Lord  of  all  the  earth,  Zech.  vi.  1 — 8,  15. 
In  these  places,  by  horses  is  meant  the  understanding  of  the 
Word,  or  the  understanding  of  truth  from  the  Word  ;  and  ir 
like  manner  in  other  places.  It  may  appear  still  more  clearly 
from  the  mention  that  is  made  of  horses  in  an  opposite  sense, 
in  which  they  signify  the  understanding  of  the  Word  and  of 
truth  falsified  by  reasonings,  and  likeM'ise  destroyed  ;  as  also 
self-derived  intelligence  ;  as  in  the  following  places  :  "  Woe  to 
them  that  go  down  to  Egypt  for  help  ;  and  stay  on  horses^ — but 
look  not  unto  the  Holy  One  of  Israel. — Now  the  Egyptians  are 
men  and  not  God,  and  their  horses^  flesh  and  not  spirit,"  Isaiah 
xxxi.  1,  3.  "Thou  shalt  in  any  wise  set  him  kinj^  over  Israel 
whom  Jehovah  thy  God  shall  choose  :  but  he  shall  not  multiply 
horses  to  liimself,  nor  cause  the  people  to  return  to  Egypt  to  the 
end  that  he  should  multiply  koi'ses,^^  Deut.  xvii.  15,  10.  This 
is  said,  because  by  Egypt  is  signified  science  and  reasoning  from 
self-derived  intelligence,  and  thus  the  falsification  of  the  truth 
of  the  Word,  which  is  here  expressed  by  a  horse.  "  Ashur 
shall  not  save  us,  we  will  not  ride  upon  horses,''^  Hosea  xiv.  3. 
"  Some  trust  in  chariots,  and  some  in  horses,  but  we  will  re- 
member the  name  of  the  Lord  our  God,"  Psalm  xx.  7.  "  A 
hoi'se  is  a  vain  thing  for  safety,"  Psalm  xxxiii.  17.  "  Jehovali 
delighteth  not  in  the  strength  of  the  horse,''"'  Psalm  cxlvii.  10. 
"  Thus  saith  Jehovah  God,  the  Holy  One  of  Israel, — in  confi- 
dence shall  be  your  strength  ;  but  ye  said,  No  ;  for  we  will  flee 
upon  horses  ;  we  will  o'ide  upon  tlie  swift,"  Isaiah  xxx.  15,  16. 
"  Jehovah  will  make  Judah  as  a  goodly  horse.  The  riders  on 
horses  &\\i\\\  be  confounded,"  Zech.  x.  3,  4,  5.  "Woe  to  the 
bloody  city,  it  is  all  full  of  lies, — the  prancing  of  horses,  and 
of  the  jumping  chariots  ;  the  horseman  lifteth  up,"  Nahum  iii. 
1 — 4.  "  I  will  bring  upon  Cyrus — the  king  of  Babylon, — with 
216 


V.  2.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.  299 

ho?'ses,  and  witli  cliariots,  aiul  with  hors/'me/i  ^'-—by  reason  of 
the  abiiiulance  of  his  /io?'Scs  their  dust  sliall  cover  tliee  ;  thy 
waMs  shall  shake  at  the  noise  of  the  horseincn  and  of  the  cha- 
riots ;  with  the  lioofs  of  Iiis  Itorses  shall  he  ti-ead  down  all  thy 
streets,"  Ezek.  xxvi.  T — 11.  By  Tyre  is  siiinilied  the  church  as 
to  the  knowledges  of  truth,  here  such  as  are  falsified  m  her, 
which  are  denoted  by  the  horses  of  Babylon :  besides  other 
places  ;  as  Isaiah  v.  26,  28  ;  Jerem.  vi.  22,  23  ;  viii.  16  ;  xlvi. 
4,  9 ;  1.  37,  38,  42  ;  Ezek.  xvii.  15  ;  xxiii.  5,  20 ;  Habak.  i.  6,  8, 
9.  10  ;  Psalm  Ixvi.  11.  12.  The  understanding  of  the  Word 
destroyed  is  also  signihed  by  the  red,  black,  and  pale  horse, 
mentioned  below.  That  it  is  from  appearances  in  the  spiritual 
world  that  a  horse  signifies  the  understanding  of  truth  from  the 
AVord,  see  the  small  tract  concerning  Tlie  White  Horse. 

299.  And  he  that  sat  on  hhn  had  a  hoio,  signifies  that  they 
luid  the  doctrine  of  truth  and  good  from  the  Word,  by  virtue  of 
which  they  fuught  against  the  fiilses  and  evils  which  are  from 
hell,  thus  against  hell.  By  him  that  sat  on  the  white  horse,  as 
mentioned  in  Apoc.  xix.  13,  is  meant  the  Lord  as  to  the  Word ; 
but  by  him  that  sat  on  this  white  horse,  is  understood  a  man- 
angeJ  as  to  the  doctrine  of  truth  and  good  from  the  Word,  thus 
from  the  Lord ;  in  like  manner  as  by  the  Lord's  army  in  liea- 
ven,  who  "  followed  the  Lord  upon  white  horses,''^  Apoc.  xix. 
14.  Of  Him  that  sat  on  the  white  horse,  Apoc.  xix.,  it  is  said, 
that  out  of  his  mouth  went  forth  a  sharp  sword,  that  with  it  he 
should  smite  the  nations  ;  and  by  the  sword  out  of  his  mouth, 
is  signified  the  divine  truth  of  the  AVord  fighting  against  falses 
and  evils,  n.  52,  108, 117  ;  but  here  it  is  said  that  he  who  sat  on 
this  white  horse  had  a  bow,  and  by  a  bow  is  signified  the  doc- 
trine of  truth  and  good  drawn  from  the  Word  fighting  against 
evils  and  falses.  To  fight  against  falses  and  evils  is  also  to  fight 
against  the  hells,  because  evils  and  falses  are  from  thence,  there- 
fore this  also  is  signified.  That  a  bow,  in  the  AVord,  signifies 
doctrine  combating,  in  both  senses,  may  ap]>ear  from  these 
passages:  "  Whose  «rrot(^s  are  sharp,  and  all  their  bows  bent,  the 
horses'  hoofs  shall  be  counted  like  fiint,"  Isaiah  v.  28.  "The 
Lord  bent  his  how  like  an  enemy,"  Lament,  ii.  4.  "  Thou,  O 
Jehovah,  didst  ride  upon  thine  horses,  thy  how  was  made  quite 
naked,"  llal»ak,  iii.  8,  9.  Who  "  gave  the  nations  before  him 
and  made  him  rule  over  kings?  he  gave  them  as  dust  to  his 
Bword,  and  as  driven  stubble  to  his  hoiv,^'  Isaiah  xli.  2.  In 
these  places  a  bow,  because  it  is  applied  to  Jehovah  or  the 
Lord,  signifies  the  Word,  from  which  the  Lord  fights  in  nian 
against  evils  and  falses.  "  And  I  will  cut  off  the  chariot  from 
Ephraim,  and  the  horse  from  Jerusalem,  and  the  battle  how 
shall  be  cut  off;  and  he  shall  s])eak  peace  to  the  heathen," 
Zech.  ix.  10.  "For  lo,  the  wicked  bent  their  how,  they  make 
ready  their  arrow  upon  the  string,  that  they  may  privily  shoot 
2J7 


800 302         THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.         [Chap.  vi. 

at  the  upright  of  heart,"  Psahn  xi.  3,  "  The  arJiers  haA'o 
sorely  grieved  Joseph,  and  sliot  at  liini,  and  hated  him ;  but 
his  how  abode  in  strength,  and  the  arms  of  his  hands  were 
made  strong  by  tlie  hands  of  the  Mighty  One  of  Jacob,"  Gen. 
xlix.  23,  24.  "Put  yourselves  in  array  against  Babylon  round 
about ;  all  ye  that  bend  the  how^  shoot  at  her,  spare  no  arrows^ 
for  she  hath  sinned  against  Jehovah,"  Jerem.  1.  14,  29.  David 
lamented  over  Saul  "  to  teach  the  children  of  Judah  the  use  of 
the  hoxo^''  2  Sam.  i.  17.  In  that  lamentation  the  combat  of 
truth  against  talses  is  treated  of.  "  Thus  saitli  Jehovah  of  Hosts ; 
Behold,  I  will  break  the  how  of  Elam,  the  cnief  of  their 
might,"  Jerem.  xlix.  35.  "  Jehovah  hath  made  me  a  polished 
shaft,  in  his  quiver  hath  he  hid  me,"  Isaiah  xlix.  2.  "  Lo, 
children  are  an  heritage  of  Jehovah, — happy  is  the  man  that 
hath  his  quiver  full  of  them,"  Psalm  cxxvii.  3,  4,  5.  Children 
here,  as  \\\  other  places,  signify  truths  of  doctrine.  "  In  Salem 
also  is  the  tabernacle  of  Jehovah, — there  brake  he  the  arrows 
of  the.  how,  the  shield,  the  sword  and  the  battle,"  Psalm  Ixxvi. 
2,  3,  4.  "  Jehovah  maketh  wars  to  cease  unto  the  ends  of  the 
earth,  he  breaketh  the  hoio,  and  cuttcth  the  spear  in  sunder,  he 
burnoth  the  chariots  in  the  lire,"  Psalm  xlvi.  9  ;  Ezek.  xxxix. 
8,  9  ;  Hosea  ii.  18.  In  these  places  a  bow  signifies  the  doc- 
trine, of  truth  contending  against  falses,  and,  in  an  opposite 
senile,  false  doctrine  contending  against  truths ;  therefore  ar- 
rows and  shafts  signify  truths  or  falses.  As  war,  in  the  Word, 
si-o-nifies  spiritual  war,  therefore  warlike  arms,  such  as  the 
sword,  spear,  shield,  target,  bow  and  arrows,  signify  such  things 
as  are  propei*  thereto. 

300.  And  a  cro'tim  was  given  uyito  1dm,,  signifies  his  token  of 
combat.  A  crown  signifies  a  token  of  combat,  because  in  ancient 
times  kings  wore  crowns  in  battle,  as  may  appear  from  history, 
and  partly  from  2  Sam.  i.  10,  where  the  man  says  to  David  con- 
cerning Saul,  that  when  he  was  fallen  in  battle,  "  he  took  the 
crown  that  was  upon  his  head,  and  tlie  bracelets  that  were  upon 
his  arm ;"  as  also  from  what  is  said  of  the  king  of  Rabbali  and 
David,  2  Sam.  xii.  29,  30.  And  as  temptations  are  spiritual  com- 
bats which  the  martyrs  sustained,  therefore  croMnis  were  given 
them  as  tokens  of  victory,  n.  103.  Hence  it  appears,  that  by  a 
crown  is  here  signified  the  token  of  their  combat;  therefore  it 
tollows,  "  And  he  went  forth  conquering,  and  to  conquer." 

301.  And  he  went  forth  conquering  and  to  con^-^^d/',  signifies 
victory  over  evils  and  falses  to  eternity.  It  is  said  conquering 
and  to  conquer,  because  he  who  in  spiritual  combats,  which  are 
temptations,  conquers  in  this  world,  conquers  to  eternity,  for  the 
hells  cannot  assault  any  one  who  has  conquered  them. 

302.  And  when  he  had  opened  the  second  seal,  signifies  ex- 
ploration from  the  Lord  of  those  upon  whom  the  last  judgment 
was  to  be  executed,  respecting  their  states  of  life.     The  sign! 

218 


V.  2 — 4.]  THE   AP0CALYP3E   KETV'EALED.  303 — 305 

fication  l.ere  is  similar  to  what  was  sliown  before,  n.  205,  only 
with  the  difference  mentioned  in  what  follows. 

303.  I  heard  the  second  animal  say,  si<::niHe3  according  tc 
the  divine  truth  of  the  Word,  as  above,  n.  296. 

304.  Come  and  see,  signifies  a  manifestation  concerning  the 
second  in  order,  as  may  appear  from  the  explanation  above,  n. 
297,  but  there  concerning  the  first  in  order,  and  here  concern- 
ing the  second. 

305.  And  there  went  out  another  horse  that  was  red,  signi- 
fies the  understanding  of  the  AVord  destroyed  as  to  good,  and 
thence  as  to  life  in  these.  By  a  horse  is  signified  the  under- 
standing of  the  Word,  n.  298;  and  by  a  red  horse  is  signified 
good  destro^'ed.  That  white  is  predicated  of  truths,  because  it 
proceeds  from  the  light  of  the  sun  of  heaven,  and  that  red 
is  predicated  of  goods  because  it  proceeds  from  the  fire  of  the 
sun  of  heaven,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  167,  231.  But  the  rea- 
son why  red  is  predicated  of  good  destroyed,  is,  because  aa 
infernal  redness  is  signified,  ])roceeding  from  infernal  fire, 
which  is  the  love  of  evil;  this  kind  of  redness  is  hid(H)usand 
abominable,  there  being  nothing  alive  therein,  but  all  dead; 
hence  it  is,  that  by  a  red  horse  is  signiiied  the  undei'standing 
of  the  AVord  destroyed  as  to  good.  This  may  also  appear  from 
the  description  of  him  below  ;  that  "  it  was  given  him  to  take 
peace  from  the  earth,  that  men  should  kill  one  another  :"  the 
second  animal  also,  being  like  unto  a  calf,  by  which  is  signified 
the  divine  truth  of  the  Word  as  to  affection,  n.  211,  said, 
''  Come  and  see,"  and  thus  showed  that  there  was  no  affection 
of  good,  and  thence  no  good  in  them.  That  red  is  s])oken  of 
love,  as  well  the  love  of  good  as  of  evil,  nuiy  appear  from  the 
following  places  :  "  He  washed  his  garments  in  wine,  and  his 
clothes  in  the  blood  of  grapes  ;  his  eyes  shall  be  red  with 
wine,  and  his  teeth  white  witli  milk,"  Gen.  xlix.  11,  12  ;  speak- 
ing of  the  Lord.  "  Who  is  this  that  cometh  from  Edom  ? 
Wherefore  art  thou  red  in  thine  api)arel,  and  thy  garments 
like  him  that  trcadeth  in  the  wine-fat?"  Isaiah  xliii.  1,  2;  also 
of  the  Lord.  "  Her  Nazarites  were  ])urer  than  snow,  they  were 
whiter  than  milk,  they  were  more  red  than  rubies,"  Lament,  iv. 
7  ;  in  these  passages  red  is  predicated  of  the  love  of  good ;  in 
those  which  follow,  of  the  love  of  evil :  "  The  shield  of  his 
mighty  men  is  made  red,  the  valiant  men  are  in  scarlet,  the 
chariots  shall  be  with  flaming  torches,  they  shall  seem  like 
torches,'''  Nahum  ii.  3,  4.  "  Though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet, 
they  shall  be  as  white  as  snow,  though  they  be  red  like  crimson, 
they  shall  be  as  wool,"  Isaiah  i.  18.  Nor  is  any  thing  else  sig- 
nified by  the  red  dragon,  Apoc.  xii.  3  ;  and  by  the  red  horse 
standing  among  the  myrtle  trees,  Zech.  i.  8.  The  same  is  pre 
dicated  of  the  colours  which  in  their  ground  are  red,  as  is  pre 
dicated  of  scarlet  and  purple. 

219 


60Q  THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.        [Chap.  vi. 

30G  And  power  was  given  to  him  that  sat  thereon  to  take 
peace  from  tlie  earthy  signifies  the  taking  away  of  charity,  spir- 
itual security,  and  internal  tranquillity.  By  peace  are  signified 
all  things  in  their  aggregate  which  come  from  the  Lord,  and 
thence  all  things  of  heaven  and  the  church,  and  the  beatitudes 
of  life  that  are  in  them  ;  these  are  what  belong  to  peace  in  the 
supreme  or  inmost  sense.  It  follows  therefore  that  peace  is 
charity,  spiritual  security,  and  internal  tranquillity  ;  for  when 
man  is  in  the  Lord,  he  is  in  peace  with  his  neighbour,  which  is 
charity  ;  in  protection  against  the  hells,  which  is  spiritual  seciv- 
rity  ;  and  when  lie  is  in  peace  with  his  neighbour,  and  in  pro- 
tection against  the  hells,  he  is  in  internal  tranquillity  from  evils 
and  falses.  Since  therefore  all  this  is  from  the  Lord,  it  may 
appear  what  is  signified  in  general  and  in  particular  by  j^eace 
in  the  following  places  :  "  For  unto  us  a  Child  is  born,  unto  us 
a  Son  is  given  ;  and  the  government  shall  be  upon  his  shoulder ; 
and  his  name  shall  be  called  Wonderful,  Counsellor,  The  Miglity 
God,  The  Everlasting  Father,  The  Prince  of  Peace.  Of  the 
increase  of  his  government  and  p)^CLC^  there  shall  be  no  end," 
Isaiah  ix.  6,  7.      Jesus  said,  ''  Peace  I  leave  with   you,  my 

fjeace  I  give  you,"  John  xiv,  27.  Jesus  said,  "These  things 
lave  I  spoken  unto  you,  that  in  me  ye  might  have  j?t'ac^,"  John 
xvi.  33.  "  In  his  days  shall  the  righteous  flourish,  and  abun- 
dance of  jpeace^''  Psalm  Ixxii.  7.  "  And  I  will  make  with 
them  a  covenant  oi  peace^"^  Ezek.  xxxiv.  25,  27;  xxxvii.  25, 
26;  Malachi  ii.  4,  5.  "  Hom'  beautiful  upon  the  mountains 
are  the  feet  of  him  that  bringeth  good  tidings, — that  publisheth 
peace^ — that  saith  unto  Zion,  Thy  King  reignetli,"  Isaiah  lii.  7. 
"  Jehovah  bless  thee,  and  lift  uj)  his  countenance  upon  thee, 
and  give  thee^e^ce,"  Numb.  vi.  24 — 26.  "  Jehovah  will  bless 
his  people  with  peace^''  Psalm  xxix.  11.  "  Jehovah  will  de- 
liver my  soul  in  peace^''  Psalm  Iv.  18.  "  And  the  work  of 
righteousness  shall  be  peace,  and  the  eflect  of  righteousness  is 
quietness^  and  assurance  for  ever.  And  my  people  shall  dwell 
in  a  peaceahle  habitation  and  in  sure  dwellings,  and  in  quiet 
resting-places^''  Isaiah  xxxii.  17,  18.  Jesus  said  unto  the  sev- 
enty whom  he  sent,  "  Into  whatsoever  house  ye  enter,  tii"st 
say,  Peace  be  to  this  house  ;  and  if  the  Son  of  Peace  be  there, 
your  peace  shall  rest  upon  it,"  Luke  x.  5,  6  ;  Matt.  x.  12 — 14. 
"  But  the  meek  shall  inherit  the  earth,  and  shall  delight  them- 
selves in  the  abundance  of  peace  :  behold  the  upright,  for  the 
end  of  that  man  is  p>eace,''^  Psalm  xxxvii.  11,  37.  Zacharias 
prophesying,  said,  "  The  day-spring  from  on  high  hath  visited 
us, — to  guide  our  feet  into  the  -way  oi  p>eace,^^  Luke  i.  78,  79 
"  Depart  from  evil  and  do  good :  seek  peace^  and  pursue  it,' 
Psalm  xxxiv.  14.  "  Great  peace  have  they  that  love  thy  law,'' 
Psalm  cxix.  165.  "  O  that  thou  hadst  hearkened  to  my  com- 
mandments !  then  had  thy  peace  been  as  a  river :  There  is  no 
220 


V.  4,  5.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.        307 305 

peace,  saitli  Jeliovah,  unto  the  wicked,"  Isaiah  xlviii.  18,  22. 
•'  Jehovah  rvill  speak  peace  mito  his  pooph; :  lli<;-hteousness  and 
peace  shall  kiss  each  t)tlier,"  Psalm  Ixxxv.  9,  lU.  '•  There  is  no 
peace  in  my  bones  because  of  my  sin,"  Psalm  xxxviii.  3.  "lie 
liath  filled  me  with  bitterness,  and  thou  hast  removed  my  soul 
far  off  from  peace ;  I  for<^at  prosperity,"  Lament,  iii.  15,  17; 
besides  numy  other  passa<^es  ;  from  which  it  may  be  seen,  that 
the  above-mentioned  things  are  understood  by  })eace  ;  keep  in 
mind  spiritual  peace,  and  you  will  clearly  perceive  that  this  is 
the  case  ;  so  likewise  in  these  verses  :  Isaiah  xxvi.  12  ;  liii.  n  ; 
liv.  10,  13;  Jerem.  xxxiii.  6,  9;  Ilag^ai  ii.  9;  Zech.  8,  19; 
Psalm  iv.  7,  8 ;  Psalm  cxx.  6,  7  ;  Psalm  cxxii,  6 — 9  ,  Psalm 
cxxviii.  5,  6  ;  Psalm  clxvii.  14.  That  peace  is  what  ir.mostly 
affects  all  good  witli  blessedness,  may  be  seen  in  the  work  con- 
cerning Heaven  and  Hell,,  n.  284 — 290. 

307.  And  that  tliey  sliould  kill  one  another  siguilies  intestine 
hatreds,  infestations  ironi  the  hells,  and  internal  restlessness. 
These  things  are  signified,  when  by  the  taking  away  peace  is 
signified  the  taking  away  charity,  spiritual  security,  and  inter- 
nal tranquillity,  and  when  by  the  red  horse  is  signified  the  un- 
derstanding of  the  Word  destroyed  as  to  good  ;  for  these  things 
happen  when  there  is  no  longer  any  good ;  and  there  is  no 
longer  any  good  when  it  is  not  known  what  good  is.  That  intes- 
tine hatreds  take  place  when  there  is  no  cliarity,  likewise  infes- 
tations from  the  hells  when  there  is  no  S])iritual  security,  and 
interiuil  disquietude  when  thei'e  is  no  rest  from  evils  and  their 
concupiscences  or  lusts,  is  evident ;  this  is  the  case  after  death 
at  least,  if  not  in  the  world.  That  to  kill,  has  such  a  significa- 
tion, is  plain  from  the  signification  of  a  sword,  in  what  follows. 

308.  And  there  %cas  given  unto  him  a  great  sword,,  signifies 
the  destruction  of  truth  by  falses  of  evil.  That  a  sword,  a  dag- 
ger, and  knife,  signify  truth  combating  against  falses  and  de- 
stroying them,  and  in  an  opposite  sense,  falsity  combating 
against  truths,  and  destroying  them,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  52  ; 
here  a  great  sword  signifies  the  falses  of  evil  destroying  the 
truths  of  good.  They  are  called  falses  of  evil,  because  there 
are  falses  which  are  not  falses  of  evil,  and  the  latter  do  not  de- 
stroy truths,  but  the  former.  That  such  is  the  signification  of 
a  great  sword,  is  evident  from  its  being  said  that  presently  a 
black  horse  was  seen,  by  which  is  signified  the  uiulerstanding 
of  the  Word  destroyed  as  to  truth,  and  truth  is  destroyed  by 
nothing  but  evil. 

309.  A7id  when  he  had  opened  the  third  seal,  signifies  explo- 
ration from  the  Lord  of  those  upon  whom  the  last  judgment 
was  to  be  executed,  as  to  the  states  of  their  life.  The  same  is 
here  signified  by  these  words  as  before,  n.  295,  oidy  with  the 
difference  explained  below. 

221 


310 — 313         THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.        [Chap.  vi. 

310.  And  I  heard  tJie  third  anhnal  say^  signifies  according 
to  the  divine  truth  of  the  AVord,  as  above,  n.  296. 

311.  Come  a7id  see,  signifies  a  manifestation  concerning  the 
third  chiss,  or  concerning  those  who  are  the  third  in  order,  aa 
may  appear  from  the  exphmation  above,  n.  297,  only  there  the 
fii-st  chiss  in  order  are  treated  of,  but  l\ere  the  third. 

312.  And  I  beheld,  and  lo,  a  hlael  horse,  signifies  the  under- 
standing of  the  Word  destroyed  as  to  truth,  thus  as  to  doctrine 
amono- "these.  That  a  hoi-se  signifies  the  understanding  of  the 
Word,  was  shown  above  ;  the  reason  why  bhack  signifies  what 
is  not  true,  thus  talsity,  is,  because  bhick  is  the  opposite  of 
white,  and  white  is  predicated  of  truth,  n.  167,  232,  233  ;  wliite 
also  derives  its  origin  from  light,  and  black  from  darkness,  thus 
from  the  absence  of  light,  and  liglit  is  truth.  But  in  the  spirit- 
ual world  there  exists  darliness  from  a  twofold  origin,  one  from 
the  absence  of  flaming  light,  Avhich  light  is  enjoyed  by  those 
who  are  in  the  Lord's  celestial  kingdom,  and  the  other  from  the 
absence  of  white  light,  which  is  the  light  enjoyed  by  those  who 
are  in  the  Lord's  sj^iritual  kingdom ;  the  latter  blackness  has 
the  same  si^-nification  as  darkness,  but  the  former  as  thick  dark- 
ness :  there"  is  a  difterence  between  these  two  kinds  of  black- 
ness, the  one  is  abominable,  the  other  not  so  much  so  ;  it  is  the 
same  with  the  talsities  which  they  signify.  They  who  appear 
in  the  abominable  kind  of  blackness  are  called  devils,  such 
holding  truth  in  abomination  as  much  as  owls  do  the  light  of 
the  sun ;  but  they  appear  in  that  kiiul  of  blackness,  which  is 
not  so  abominable,  who  are  called  satans ;  these  do  not  abom- 
inate truth,  but  are  averse  to  it;  the  latter  may  tlierefore  be 
compared  to  birds  of  night,  and  the  former  to  horned  owls. 
That  black,  in  the  AVord"^  is  applicable  to  falsity,  may  appear 
from  these  places :  "  Her  Nazarites  were  purer  than  snow, — 
their  visage  is  blacker  than  a  coal,''  Lament,  iv,  7,  S.  "  The  day 
shall  become  dark  over  the  prophets,"  Micah  iii.  6.  '*  Li  the 
day  when  thou  goest  down  iut-^  hell,  I  will  make  Lebanon  black 
over  thee,"  Ezek.  xxxi.  15.  "  The  sun  became  black  as  sackcloth 
of  hair,''  Apoc.  vi.  12.  The  sun,  the  moon,  and  the  stars,  be- 
came black,  Jerera.  iv.  27,  2S ;  Ezek.  xxxii.  7 ;  Joel  ii.  3  ;  iii. 
25  ;  and  elsewhere.  The  reason  why  the  third  animal  displaved 
a  black  hoi-se,  was,  because  it  had  a  face  like  a  man,  by  which 
IS  sisnified  the  divine  truth  of  the  Word  as  to  wisdom,  n.  24:3, 
therefore  this  animal  showed  that  tliere  was  no  longer  any  truth 

'of  wisdom  among  those  who  constituted  the  third  class. 

313,  And  he^that  sat  on  him  had  a  jHTir  of  balances  in  his 
hayid,  siirnifies  the  estimation  of  good  and  truth,  of  what  kind 
It  was  witli  these.  By  the  pair  of  balances  in  his  hand,  is  sig- 
nified the  estimation  of  good  and  truth;  for  all  measures  and 
weights,  in  the  Word,  sigiiifiy  the  estimation  of  the  thing  treated 

^^222 


V.  5,  6.]  TIIK    AFOCALYrSE   REVEALED.  314 

of.  That  measures  and  weights  have  such  a  signification,  is 
evident  from  the  toHowing  ]iassage  in  Daniel:  Tlierc  appeared 
a  hand-writing  before  Belshazzarking  of  l>abylon,  when  he  was 
drinking  wine  out  of  the  vessels  of  gold  and  of  silver  which 
were  taken  out  of  the  temple  in  Jerusalem,  "  Mene,  mene, 
tekel,  upharsin,"  that  is,  thou  art  nuinhercd,  thou  art  num- 
bered, ivt'l(//tc(I,  and  divided  ;  whereof  this  is  the  interpretation  : 
"  mene,  God  hath  nutnhered  thy  kingdom  and  put  an  end  to  it; 
tekel,  thou  art  weighed  in  the  balance  and  found  wanting ; 
peres,  thy  kingdom  is  divided  and  given  to  the  Medes  and  Per- 
sians," V.  1,  2,  20,  28  ;  by  drinking  out  of  the  vessels  of  gold 
and  silver  of  the  tem})le  in  Jerusalem,  and  at  the  same  time 
worshipping  other  gods,  is  signified  the  profaiuition  of  good  and 
truth,  as  also  by  Babel ;  by  mene,  or  to  number,  is  signified 
to  know  his  quality  as  to  truth ;  by  tekel,  or  to  weigh,  is  signi- 
fied to  know  his  (piality  as  to  good  ;  by  peres,  or  to  divide,  is 
signified  to  disperse.  That  the  (piality  of  truth  and  good  is  sig- 
nified by  measures  and  balances  in  the  Word,  is  evident  in 
Isaiah :  ''  "Who  hath  measured  the  waters  in  the  hollow  of  his 
hand,  and  meted  out  the  heavens  with  the  span,  and  (;on)pre- 
hended  the  dust  of  the  earth  in  a  7neasure,  and  weighed  the 
mountains  in  scales  and  the  hills  in  a  halancer''  xl.  12.  And 
in  the  Apocalj-pse  :  "The  angel  measured  the  wall  of  the  Holy 
Jerusalem  a  hundred  and  forty -four  cubits,  which  is  the  measui'e 
of  a  man,  that  is,  of  an  angel,"  xxi.  17. 

31-1.  And  I  heard  a  'voice  in  the  midst  of  the  four  animals 
my,  signifies  the  divine  protection  of  the  Word  by  the  Lord. 
That  the  four  aninuils  signify  the  Word  from  first  principles  in 
ultimates,  and  the  defences,  lest  its  interior  truths  and  goods 
should  be  violated,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  239 ;  and  because 
those  defences  are  from  the  Lord,  therefore  the  voice  was  heard 
in  the  midst  of  the  four  animals  ;  in  the  midst  of  them,  means 
the  Word  as  to  its  internal  spiritual  sense,  which  is  guarded  by 
the  Lord.  That  the  guarding  of  it  is  signified,  is  ])lain  from 
what  the  voice  says:  "A  measure  of  wheat  for  a  penny,  and 
three  measures  of  barley  for  a  penny,  and  see  thou  hurt  not  the 
oil  and  the  wine,"  which  signifies  that  since  good  and  truth  are 
held  in  little  or  no  estimation,  it  will  be  provided  that  the  holy 
goods  and  truths,  which  lie  interiorly  concealed  in  the  Word, 
(shall  not  be  violated  and  profaned  ;  and  this  is  provided  of  the 
Lord  by  this  result,  that  tiiey  come  at  length  to  know  nothing 
concerning  go<Kl,  and  thence  nothing  concerning  truth,  but 
mere  evil  and  falsity  ;  for  they  who  know  goods  and  truths  can 
violate,  yea,  they  can  profane  them,  but  lu^t  so  they  who  do 
not  know  them.  That  such  is  the  operation  of  the  Divine  Pro- 
vidence in  guarding  the  Word  from  violation,  may  be  seen  in 
The  Angelic  Wisdom  concerning  the  Divine  Providence,  n.  221 
—  233,  n.  257,  the  end ;  n.  258,  the  beginning. 
223 


315  THE   APOCALYPSE   KEVEALED.  [Cliap,  vi. 

315.  A  ineasui'e  of  wheat  for  a  penny,  and  three  measiwes 
ofharleyfor  a  penny,  signifies  because  the  estimation  of  good 
and  ti'utli  is  so  small  as  scarcely  to  amount  to  any  thing.  By 
choenix,*  which  denotes  the  measure  and  quantity  measurcu, 
is  signified  quality,,  as  above,  n.  314;  by  M'heat  and  barley  is 
signified  good  and  truth  ;  and  by  a  penny,  which  is  a  very  small 
coin,  that  they  are  held  in  little  or  no  estimation.  It  is  said 
three  measures  of  barley,  because  three  signify  all,  and  are  pre- 
dicated of  truths,  n.  515.  The  reason  why  wheat  and  barley  sig- 
nify good  and  truth,  in  this  instance  the  good  and  truth  of  the 
church  from  the  Word,  is,  because  all  things  which  belong  to  the 
field  and  the  vineyard,  signify  such  things  as  are  of  the  church, 
on  account  of  a  field  signifying  the  church  as  to  its  good  and 
consequent  truth,  and  a  vineyard,  the  church  as  to  its  truth  and 
consequent  good  ;  therefore  where  these  are  mentioned  in  the 
Word,  the  angels,  who  perceive  all  things  spiritually,  understand 
nothing  else  ;  as  in  Joel :  "  Ulie  Jield  is  wasted,  the  land  mourn- 
eth ;  for  the  corn  is  wasted ;  the  new  wine  is  dried  up,  the  oil 
languisheth.  Be  ye  ashamed,  O  ye  husbandmen  ;  howl,  O  ye 
vine-dressers,  for  the  wheat  and  for  the  harley  j  l)«cause  the 
harvest  of  the  f  eld  is  perished,"  i.  10 — 12.  All  these  expres- 
sions signify  such  things  as  belong  to  the  church.  That  wheat 
and  barley  signify  the  good  and  truth  of  the  church,  may  be 
seen  from  these  places :  John  saith  concerning  Jesus,  that  he 
will  "  gather  his  wheat  into  the  garner,  and  burn  up  the  cliatt* 
with  unquenchable  fire,"  Matt.  iii.  11,  12.  Jesus  said,  "  Let  the 
tares  and  the  wheat  grow  together,  and  in  the  time  of  harvest  I 
will  say  to  the  reapers.  Gather  ye  together  first  the  tares,  to  burn 
them,  but  gather  the  wheat  into  my  barn,"  Matt.  xiii.  24 — 30. 
I  have  heard  the  consummation  and  decision  from  Jehovah 
God ;  "  he  layeth  up  the  principal  loheat,  and  aj)pointed  barley  ; 
for  his  God  doth  instruct  him  to  discretion,  and  doth  teach 
him,"  Isaiah  xxviii.  21 — 26.  Jehovah  shall  lead  thee  to  "  a  land 
of  wheat  and  harley^''  Deut.  viii.  7,  8.  A  land  of  wheat  and 
barley  here  is  the  land  of  Canaan,  by  which  the  church  is  sig- 
nified. "  Therefore  they  shall  come  and  sing  in  the  height  of 
Zion,  and  shall  flow  together  to  the  goodness  of  Jehovah,  for 
wheat  and  for  wine,"  Jerem.  xxxi.  12.  Jehovah  shall  satisfy 
thee  "  with  \X\e  fat  of  kidneys,  of  wheat,''''  Deut.  xxxii.  13,  14  ; 
Psalm  Ixxxi.  14,  16  ;  Psalm  cxlvii.  12 — 14.  Jehovah  said  unto 
the  prophet  Ezekiel,  that  he  should  make  himself  cakes  of  bar- 
ley mixed  with  dung,  and  eat  them,  iv.  12,  15 ;  and  com- 
manded the  prophet  llosea  to  take  a  woman  that  was  an  adul- 
teress ;  whom  he  bought  for  "  a  homer  of  barley,  and  half  a 
homer  of  barley,''^  iii.  1,  2 :  which  things  were  done  by  those 

*  Choenix,  a  Grecian  measure,  which  contained  as  much  corn  as  would  serve 
a  man  one  day  It  has  been  reckoned  to  be  about  a  pint  and  a  Aa^  English  rem 
measure. 

224 


V.  6.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  EEVEALED.  316 

prophets,  tliat  tlicy  miglit  represent  the  ftilsifications  of  trutli  in 
the  churcli,  for  barlev  denotes  trutlis,  and  bark'V  mixed  with 
dung  denotes  truths  falsitied  and  profaned  ;  an  adulterous  wo- 
man also  signilies  trutli  falsitied,  n.  IS-t. 

316.  And  see  thou  Jiurt  not  the  oil  and  the  lolne,  signifies  that 
it  is  provided  by  the  Lord  that  the  holy  goods  and  trurlis,  which 
lie  interiorly  concealed  in  the  AV^ord,  shall  not  be  violated  and 
profaned.  Oil  siguities  the  good  of  love,  and  wine,  truth  from 
that  good,  therefore  oilsignilies  holy  good,  and  wine  holy  truth; 
see  thou  hurt  them  not,  siguities  that  it  is  provided  by  the  Lord 
that  they  shall  not  be  violated  and  profaned;  for  this  was  heard 
from  the  midst  of  the  four  aninuils,  thus  from  the  Lord,  n.  814  ; 
what  is  said  by  the  Lord,  the  same  is  also  provided  for  by  him  : 
that  it  is  so  provided,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  314  and  n.  255. 
That  oil  siguities  the  good  of  love,  will  be  seen  below,  n.  778, 
779 ;  but  that  wine  siguities  truth  from  that  good,  is  evident 
from  the  following  places  :  "  IIo,  every  one  that  thirsteth,  come 
ye  to  the  waters,  and  he  that  hath  no  money,  come  ye,  buy 
and  eat,  yea  come,  buy  wine  and  milk  without  money,"  Isaiah 
Iv.  1,  "And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day,  that  the  moun- 
tains shall  drop  down  new  wine,  and  the  liills  shall  flow  with 
milk,"  Joel  iii.  18  ;  Amos  ix.  13,  14.  "  And  gladness  is  taken 
away  from  Carmel,  and  in  the  vineyards  there  shall  be  no  sing- 
ing:— the  treaders  shall  tread  out  no  wine,  I  have  made  their 
vintage  shouting  to  cease,"  Isaiah  xvi.  10;  Jereni.  xlviii.  32,  33. 
By  Carmel  is  siguitied  the  spiritual  church,  because  there  were 
vineyards  there.  "  Howl,  all  ye  drinkers  of  wine,  because  of  the 
new  wine,  for  it  is  cut  off  from  your  mouth ;  howl,  O  ye  vine- 
dressers,^'' Joel  i.  5,  10,  11.  Nearly  the  same  words  occur  in 
Hosea  ix.  2,  3;  Zeph.  i.  13;  Lament,  ii.  11,  12;  Micah  vi.  15; 
Amos  v.  11 ;  Isaiah  xxiv.  6,  7,  9,  10.  "  He  washed  his  gar- 
ments in  wine  and  his  clothes  in  the  Mood  of  grajpes  ;  his  eyes 
shall  be  red  with  %oine^''  Gen.  xlix.  11,  12  ;  speaking  of  the 
Lord:  wine  signifies  divine  truth.  This  is  tlie  reason  why  the 
holy  supper  was  instituted  by  the  Lord,  in  which  the  bread  sig- 
nifies the  Lord  as  to  his  divine  good,  and  the  wine  the  Lord  as 
to  his  divine  truth,  and  Avith  the  recipients  the  bread  signifies 
holy  good,  and  the  wine,  holy  truth,  from  the  Lord  :  therefore 
lie  said,  "I  say  unto  you,  I  will  not  driidc  henceforth  of  this 
fruit  of  the  vine,  until  that  day  when  I  drink  it  new  with  you 
in  my  Father's  kingdom,"  Matt.  xxvi.  20;  Luke  xxii.  IS.  Be- 
cause bread  and  wine  had  this  signification,  therefore,  also,  Mel- 
chisedek,  going  to  meet  Abram,  •'  brought  forth  bread  and  wine; 
and  he  was  the  priest  of  the  most  high  God,  and  he  blessed 
Abram,"  Gen.  xiv.  18,  19.  Similar  is  the  signification  of  the 
cakes  and  drink-offering,  in  the  sacrifices,  concerning  which  see 
Exod.  xxix.  40;  Levit.  xxiii.  12,  13,  18,19;  Numb.  xv.  2—15; 
xxviii.  6,  7,  18,  to  the  end;  xxix.  1 — 7,  and  following  ver::c». 
225  y~^ 


Sl'6  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Cliap.  "vi. 

llie  cakes  were  of  wheat  flour,  and  were  therefore  instead  of 
bread,  and  the  drink-ofltering  was  of  wine.  From  which  it  may 
appear  what  is  meant  by  tliese  words  of  the  Lord  :  "  Neither  do 
men  put  7iew  loine  into  okl  bottles, — but  they  put  new  wme  into 
new  bottles,  and  both  are  preserved,"  Matt.  ix.  17 ;  Luke  v.  37. 
New  wine  is  the  divine  truth  of  the  New  Testament,  thus  of 
the  new  church,  and  old  wine  is  the  divine  truth  of  the  Old 
Testament,  thus  of  the  old  church.  Similar  is  the  signification 
of  these  words,  spoken  at  the  marriage  in  Cana  of  Galilee : 
'•  Every  man  at  first  setteth  forth  good  wine,  and  when  men 
have  well  drunk,  then  that  which  is  worse  ;  but  thou  Ivast  kept 
the  good  Avine  until  now,"  John  ii.  1 — 10.  The  like  is  also 
signified  by  wine  in  the  Lord's  parable  of  the  man  that  was 
wounded  by  robbers,  into  whose  wounds  the  Samaritan  poured 
oil  and  wine,  Luke  x.  33,  34:  for  by  him  that  was  w^ounded  by 
robbers,  are  meant  tliey  who  are  spiritually  wounded  by  the 
Jews  by  evils  and  falses,  to  whom  the  Samaritan  gave  assistance 
by  pouring  oil  and  wine  into  his  wounds,  that  is,  by  teaching 
good  and  truth,  and,  so  far  as  he  was  able,  by  healing.  Holy 
truth  is  also  signified  by  new  wine  and  wine  in  other  parts  of 
the  Word ;  as  in  Isaiah  i.  21,  22 ;  xxv.  6;  xxxvi.  17  ;  Hosea  vii. 
4,  5,  14;  xiv,  6 — 8;  Amos  ii.  8;  Zech.  ix.  15,  17;  Psalm  civ. 
14 — 16.  Hence  it  is  that  a  vineyard,  in  the  Word,  signifies  a 
church  that  is  in  truths  from  the  Lord.  That  wine  signifies 
lioly  truth,  may  also  appear  from  its  opposite  sense,  in  which  it 
signifies  truth  falsified  and  profaned ;  as  in  these  places : 
"  Whoredom,  and  wine,  and  Qiew  wine,  take  away  the  heart. 
Their  ioi?ie«is  sour,  they  have  committed  whoredom  continually," 
Hosea  iv.  11,  17,  18.  Whoredom  signifies  the  falsification  of 
truth,  as  do  wfine  and  new  wine.  "  For  in  the  hand  of  Jehovah 
there  is  a  cup,  and  the  wine  is  red ;  it  is  full  of  mixture,  and  he 
poureth  out  of  the  same,  but  the  dregs  thereof  all  the  wicked  of 
the  earth  shall  wring  them  out  and  drink  them,"  Psalm  Ixxv.  8. 
"  Babylon  is  a  cup  of  gold  in  the  hand  of  Jehovah  that  made 
all  the  earth  drunken  :  the  nations  have  drunken  of  her  wine  ,• 
therefore  the  nations  are  mad,"  Jerem  Ii.  7.  "  Babylon  is 
fallen,  because  she  made  all  nations  drink  of  the  wi?ie  of  the 
wrath  of  her  fornication.  If  any  man  worship  the  beast, — the 
same  shall  driuk  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  God,  which  is 
poured  out  without  mixture  into  the  cup  of  his  indignation," 
Apoc.  xiv.  8 — 10.  "  Babylon  hath  made  all  nations  drink  of  the 
wine  of  her  fornication,"  Apoc.  xviii.  3.  "  Great  Babylon 
came  in  remembrance  before  God,  to  give  unto  her  the  cup  of 
the  wine  of  the  fierceness  of  his  wrath,"  Apoc.  xvi.  19.  "  The 
inhabitants  of  the  earth  have  been  made  drunk  with  the  wine 
of  her  fornication,"  Aj)oc.  xvii.  1,  2.  By  the  wine  which  Bel- 
shazzar,  king  of  Babylon,  and  his  princes,  and  his  wives,  and 
his  concubines,  drank  out  of  the  vessels  of  the  temple  of  Jem- 
226 


r.  7,  8.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         317 320 

salem,  and  at  the  same  time  "  praised  the  gods  of  gold,  and  of 
silver,  of  brass,  of  iron,  of  wood,  and  of  stone,"  Dan.  v,  2 — 5, 
nothing  is  meant  Init  tlie  holy  trnth  of  tlie  AVord  and  of  the 
church  profaned  ;  -wherefore  the  liand-writing  then  appeared 
npon  the  wall,  and  the  king  was  slain  that  night,  verses  25,  30. 
Wine  signities  truth  falsified  also  in  Isaiah  v.  11,  12,  21,  22; 
xxviii,  1,  3,  7;  xxix.  9;  Ivi,  11,  12;  Jereni.  xiii.  12,  13;  xxiii. 
9,  10.  The  same  is  signified  by  the  drink-offering  which  thej 
offered  to  idols,  Isaiah  Ixv.  11;  Ivii.  6;  Jerera.  vii.  18;  xliv. 
17 — 19;  Ezek.  xx.  28;  Dent,  xxxii.  38.  That  wine  should 
signify  holy  truth,  ami,  in  an  opposite  sense,  truth  profaned,  is 
from  correspondence;  for  the  angels,  who  perceive  all  things 
spiritually,  understand  nothing  else,  when  man  reads  about 
wine  in  the  Word  ;  such  a  correspondence  is  there  between  tlie 
natural  thoughts  of  men  and  the  spiritual  thoughts  of  angels. 
It  is  the  same  with  the  wine  in  the  holy  supper,  and  hence  it 
is,  that  introduction  into  heaven  is  effected  by  the  holy  supper, 
n.  224,  at  the  end. 

317.  And  lohcn  lie  had  opened,  the  fourth  seal^  signifies  ex- 
ploration from  the  Lord  of  those  upon  Avhom  the  last  judg- 
ment was  to  be  executed,  as  to  their  states  of  life'  as  above,  n. 
296,  303,  only  with  the  difference  explained  below. 

318.  I  heard  the  voice  of  the  fourth  aniinal  say,  signifies 
according  to  the  divine  truth  of  the  Word,  as  above,  n.  296,  303. 

319.  Come  and  see,  signifies  a  manifestation  concerning  the 
fourth  class,  or  those  who  were  fourth  in  order,  as  is  evident 
from  the  explanation  above,  n.  297;  but  there  it  is  applied  to 
the  first  class,  here  to  the  fourth. 

320.  Ajid  I  looked,  and  lehold,  a  pale  horse,  signifies  the 
understanding  of  the  Word  destroyed  both  as  to  good  and  as  to 
truth.  A  horse  signifies  the  understanding  of  the  Word,  n.  298, 
and  paleness  signifies  a  want  of  vitality.  In  the  Word,  this 
want  of  vitality  is  predicated  of  those  who  are  not  in  the  good 
of  life  grounded  in  the  truths  of  doctrine ;  for  the  Word,  in  its 
literal  sense,  is  not  understood  without  doctrine,  and  doctrine 
is  not  perceived  without  a  life  according  to  it ;  the  reason  is,  be- 
cause a  life  according  to  doctrine  which  is  from  the  Word,  opens 
the  spiritual  mind,  when  light  flows  into  it  from  heaven  and 
illustrates  and  imparts  perception.  That  this  is  the  case,  he  is 
not  aware  of  who  knows  truths  of  doctrine,  and  yet  does  not 
live  according  to  them.  The  reason  why  the  fourth  animal 
showed  a  pale  horse,  was,  because  that  animal  was  like  a  flying 
eagle,  and  therefore  it  signified  the  divine  trnth  of  the  AVord, 
as  to  knowledges,  and  as  to  the  understanding  derived  from 
them,  n.  244;  therefore  it  indicated,  that  among  those  who 
were  now  seen  there  were  no  knowledges  of  good  and  truth 
from  the  Word,  nor  any  understanding  of  them,  and  such  ii 
the  spiritual  world  appear  pale,  as  if  devoid  of  life. 

227 


•?21,  322  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Cliap.  VI. 

321.  A7id  Ms  name  that  sat  on  hhn  was  Death,  and  heli 
followed  vjitJi  hhn,  signifies  the  extinction  of  spiritual  life,  and 
thence  damnation.  By  deatli  is  here  signified  spiritual  death, 
which  is  the  extinction  of  spiritual  life  ;  and  by  hell  is  signified 
damnation,  which  is  a  consequence  of  that  death.  Every  man, 
indeed,  has  by  creation,  and  therefore  by  birth,  spiritual  life, 
but  that  life  is  extinguished  when  ho  denies  God,  the  sanctity 
of  the  Word,  and  eternal  life  ;  it  is  extinguished  in  the  will, 
but  remains  in  the  understanding,  or  rather  in  the  faculty  of 
understanding.  By  this  man  is  distinguished  from  the  brute. 
As  death  signifies  the  extinction  of  spiritual  life,  and  hell  the 
consequent  damnation,  therefore  death  and  hell  in  some  places 
are  named  together ;  as  in  these  :  "  I  will  ransom  them  from 
the  power  of  hell,  I  Mnll  redeem  them  from  death:  O  death,  ] 
will  be  thy  plagues ;  O  hell,  I  will  be  thy  destruction,"  Hosea 
xiii.  14.  "The  sorrows  of  death  compassed  me; — the  sorrow* 
of  hell  compassed  me ;  the  snares  of  death  prevented  me,'' 
Psalm  xviii.  5,  6 ;  Psalm  cxvi.  3.  "  Like  sheep  they  are  laid 
in  Jiell  /  death  shall  feed  on  them,  and  their  beauty  shall  con- 
sume in  hell.  But  God  will  redeem  my  soul  from  the  power 
of  hell,''^  Psalm  xlix.  14,  15.  "  I  have  the  keys  of  hell  and 
death,^''  Apoc.  i.  18. 

322.  And  power  loas  given  them  over  the  fourth  part  of  the 
ea/rth,  to  hill,  signifies  the  destruction  of  all  good  in  the  church. 
Since  deatli  signifies  the  extinction  of  man's  spiritual  life,  and 
hell  signifies  damnation,  it  follows  that  to  kill,  here,  means  to 
destroy  the  life  of  a  man's  soul ;  the  life  of  the  soul  is  spiritual 
life ;  a  fourth  part  of  the  earth  signifies  all  the  good  of  the 
church ;  the  earth  is  the  church,  n.  285.  That  a  fourth  part 
denotes  all  good,  cannot  be  known  by  any  one,  unless  he  knows 
what  numbers  in  the  Word  signify.  The  numbers  two  and 
four,  in  the  Word,  are  predicated  of  goods,  and  signify  them ; 
and  the  numbers  three  and  six,  of  truths,  and  signify  them  ; 
tlius  a  fourth  part,  or  simply  a  fourth,  signifies  all  good,  and  a 
third  part,  or  simply  a  third,  signifies  all  truth  ;  therefore  to  kill 
a  fourth  part  of  the  earth,  here  signifies  to  destroy  all  the  good 
of  the  church.  That  power  was  not  given  to  him  that  sat  upon 
the  pale  horse  to  kill  a  fourth  part  of  the  habitable  earth,  is 
evident.  Besides,  four,  in  the  Word,  signifies  the  conjunction 
of  good  and  truth.  That  four  has  these  significations,  may  in- 
deed be  proved  out  of  the  Word ;  as  by  the  four  animals  or  che- 
rubs, Ezek.  i.  vii.  x. ;  Apoc.  v.  By  \\\q,  four  chariots  between 
the  two  mountains  of  brass,  Zech.  vi.  2.  By  \\\^  four  ivinds, 
Zech.  ii. ;  and  by  \\\q,  four  horns  of  the  altar,  Exod.  xxvii.  1 — 
9;  Apoc.  ix.  13.  By  the  '■'■four  angels  standing  on  \\\q  four 
eoJ'ners  of  the  eartli,  holding  the  four  winds  of  the  earth," 
Apoc.  vii.  1 ;  Matt.  xxv.  31  ;  as  also  "  by  visiting  their  sins 
upon  the  third  ?a\^  fourth  generation,"  Numb.  xiv.  18;  and  in 

228 


V.  8.J  THE  APOCALYrSK  KEVEALED.  323 

Other  places  by  the  tliiid  and  fourth  generation.  By  these,  and 
by  many  other  ])assages  in  the  Word,  I  say,  it  might  be  proved 
that  four  is  predicated  of  goods,  and  signifies  tliem,  and  also 
the  conjunction  of  good  and  truth;  but  since  tiiis  would  not 
appear  without  a  prolix  explanation  of  those  passages,  it  is 
sufficient  to  mention,  that  nothing  else  is  understood  in  heaven 
by  four  and  by  a  fourth  ])art. 

323.  With  sword,  and  with  hunger,  and  with  death,  and  with 
the  heasts  of  the  earth,  signifies  by  falses  of  doctrine,  by  evils  of 
life,  by  the  love  of  self,  and  by  lusts.  That  by  a  sword  is  sig- 
nified truth  combating  against  evils  and  falses,  and  destroying 
them,  and,  in  an  op])osite  sense,  falsity  combating  against  goods 
and  truths,  and  destroying  them,  may  be  seen  above,  n,  52,  108, 
117 ;  here  therefore  by  sword,  the  destruction  of  all  good  in 
the  church  being  treated  of,  are  signified  falses  of  doctrine. 
That  hunger  signifies  evils  of  life,  will  be  confirmed  below. 
The  reason  why  death  signifies  the  self-love  of  man,  is,  because 
death  signifies  extinction  of  spiritual  life,  and  thence  natural 
life  separated  from  spiritual  life,  as  above,  n.  321,  and  this  life 
is  the  life  of  man's  self-love ;  for  from  it  man  loves  nothing  but 
himself  and  the  world,  and  thence  also  he  loves  all  kinds  of 
evils,  which,  from  the  love  of  that  .life,  are  delightful  to  him. 
That  beasts  of  the  earth  signify  lusts  originating  from  that  love, 
will  be  seen  below,  n.  5G7.  Now  something  shall  be  said  con- 
cerning the  signification  of  hunger.  Hunger  signifies  depriva- 
tion and  rejection  of  the  knowledges  of  truth  and  good,  arising 
from  evils  of  life  ;  it  also  signifies  ignorance  of  the  knowledges 
of  truth  and  good  arising  from  a  deficiency  thereof  in  the 
church ;  and  it  signifies  likewise  a  desire  to  know  and  under- 
stand them.  I.  That  famine  signifies  a  deprivation  and  rejec- 
tion of  the  knowledges  of  truth  and  good,  arising  from  evils  of 
life,  and  thence  evils  of  life,  may  appear  from  the  following 
passages :  "  They  shall  be  consumed  by  the  sword  and  by 
famine,  and  their  carcasses  shall  be  meat  for  the  fowls  of 
heaven,  and  for  the  beasts  of  the  earth,"  Jerem.  xvi.  4.  "These 
two  things  shall  come  nnto  thee,  desolation  and  destruction,  and 
the  famine  and  the  sword,^''  Isaiah  li.  19.  "  Behold,  I  will 
punish  them  :  the  youuf^  men  shall  die  by  the  sword,  their  sons 
and  their  daughters  shall  die  by  fainine^''  Jerem.  xi.  22. 
"Deliver  up  their  children  to  \\\q.  famine,  and  pour  out  their 
blood  l)y  the  force  of  the  sword ;  and  let  their  men  be  put  to 
death,''''  Jerem.  xviii.  21.  "  I  will  send  ui)on  them  the  sword, 
the  famine,  and  the  pestilence,  and  will  make  them  like  vile  figs 
that  cannot  be  eaten,  they  are  so  evil.  And  I  will  persecute 
them  with  the  sioord,  famine,  and  pestilence,^''  Jerem.  xxix. 
17, 18.  "I  will  send  the  sword,  i\\Q  famine,  and  the  pestilence, 
till  they  be  consumed,  from  ofi'  the  land,"  Jerem.  xxiv.  10.  "  I 
])roclaim  a  liberty  for  you, — to  the  sword,  to  the  pestilence,  and 
229 


324,  325  THE   APOCALYPSE   EEVEALED.  [Cliap.  VI. 

to  ih^fatnine'  and  I  will  make  yon  to  be  removed  into  all  the 
kingdoms  of  the  earth,"  Jerem.  xxxiv.  17.  ''  Because  thou 
hast  defiled  my  sanctuary, — a  third  part  of  thee  shall  die  with 
the  pestilence^  and  with  famine  shall  they  be  consumed,  and  a 
third  part  shall  fall  by  the  sword^  when  I  shall  send  upon  them 
the  evil  arrows  oi  famine^  which  shall  be  for  their  destruction," 
Ezek.  V.  11 — 13,  16.  "The  sword  is  without,  and  pestilence 
and  famine  within,"  Ezek.  vii.  15.  "  For  all  the  evil  abomina- 
tions of  the  house  of  Israel,  they  shall  fall  by  the  sword,  and  by 
the  famine,  and  by  the  pestilence^'*  Ezek.  vi.  11.  "  I  will  send 
my  four  sore  judgments  upon  Jerusalem,  the  sword,  the  fam- 
ine,  and  the  noisome  heast,  and  the  pestilence,  to  cut  off  from  it 
man  and  beast,"  Ezek.  xiv.  13,  15,  21 :  besides  other  places ; 
as  Jerem.  xiv.  12, 13,  15, 16  ;  xlii.  13,  14, 16—18,  22  ;  xliv.  12, 
13,  27  ;  Matt.  xxiv.  7,  8  ;  Mark  xiii.  8  ;  Luke  xxi.  11.  The 
sword,  famine,  pestilence,  and  beasts,  in  those  places,  have  a 
signification  similar  to  that  of  the  sword,  hunger,  death,  and  the 
beasts  of  the  earth,  here  mentioned ;  for  in  the  Word  there  is  a 
spiritual  sense  in  eveiy  single  expression,  in  which  sense  a  sword 
denotes  the  destruction  of  spiritual  life  by  falses ;  hunger,  the 
destruction  of  spiritual  life  by  evils;  beasts  of  the  earth,  the 
destruction  of  spiritual  life  by  lusts  of  falsity  and  evil ;  and 
pestilence  and  death  denote  plenary  consummation,  and  thus 
damnation.  II.  That  hunger  signifies  ignorance  of  the  know- 
ledges of  good  and  truth  arising  from  a  deficiency  of  such 
knowledges  in  the  church,  is  also  evident  from  various  passages 
in  the  Word;  as  from  Isaiah  v.  13;  viii.  19 — 22;  Lament,  ii. 
19;  V.  8—10;  Amos  viii.  11—14;  Job  v.  17,  20;  and  other 
])laces.  III.  That  famine  or  hunger  signifies  a  desire  to  know 
and  understand  the  truths  and  goods  of  the  church,  is  plain 
from  the  following:  Isaiah  viii.  21 ;  xxxii.  6;  xlix.  10;  Iviii.  6, 
7 ;  1  Sam.  ii.  4,  5 ;  Psalm  xxxiii.  18,  19 ;  Psalm  xxxiv.  10,  11 ; 
Psalm  xxxvii.  18,  19 ;  Psalm  cvii.  8,  9,  35 — 37 ;  Psalm  cxlvi. 
7 ;  Matt.  v.  6 ;  xxv.  35,  37,  44 ;  Luke  i.  53 ;  John  vi.  35 ;  and 
othei's. 

324.  And  when  he  had  opened  the  fifth  seal,  signifies  an 
exploration  from  the  Lord  of  their  states  of  life,  who  were  to  be 
saved  at  the  day  of  the  last  judgment,  and  in  the  mean  time 
were  reserved.  That  these  are  here  treated  of,  is  evident  from 
what  now  follows.  But  it  is  to  be  observed,  that  these,  and 
the  like,  are  treated  of  throughout  the  twentieth  chapter,  the 
explanation  of  wdiich  may  be  seen,  n.  839 — 874,  manifesting 
ivho  they  are,  and  wiiy  reserved. 

325.  I  saw  under  the  altar  the  soids  of  them  that  were  slain 
for  the  Word  of  God,  and  for  the  testimoiiy  which  they  held, 
signifies  those  who  were  hated,  abused,  and  rejected  by  the 
wicked  on  account  of  their  life  being  conformable  to  the  truths 
of  the  Word,  and  their  acknowledgment  of  the  Lord's  Divine 

230 


r.  9.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVRALED.  325 

Humanity,  and  who  were  guarded  by  the  Lord  tliat  tliey  might 
not  be  seduced.     Under  the  altar,  signifies  the  lower  earth, 
where  they  wei-e  guarded  by  the  Lord  ;  an  altar  signifies  the 
worship  of  the  Lord  from  the  good  of  love  ;  by  the  souls  of  them 
that  were  slain,  are  not  here  signified  the  martyrs,  but  they  who 
are  hated,  abused,  and  rejected  by  the  wicked  in  the  world  of 
spirits,  and  who  might  be  seduced  by  the  dragonists  and  here- 
tics;  for  the  Word  "of  God  and  for  the  testimony  which  they 
held,  signities  for  living  according  to  the  truths  of  the  Word, 
and  acknowledging  the  Lord's  Divine  Ilunnmity.     Testimony 
in  heaven  is  not  given  to  any  but  to  those  who  acknowledge 
the  Lord's  Divine  Humanity,  for  it  is  the  Lord  who  testities,  and 
gives  the  angels  to  testify ;  "  For  the  testimony  of  Jesus  is  the 
spirit  of  prophecy,"  Apoc.  xix.  10.     Since  they  Avere  under  the 
altar,  it  is  evident  they  were  guarded  by  the  Lord ;  for  they  who 
led,  in  any  sort,  a  life  of  charity,  were  all  guarded  by  the  Lord 
against  sustaining  any  injury  from  the  wicked;  and  after  the 
last  judgment,  when  the  wicked  were  removed,  they  were  set 
free  and  elevated  into  heaven.     I  have  frequently  seen  them, 
since  the  last  judgment,  liberated  from  the  lower  earth  and 
translated  into  heaven.     That  by  the  slain  are  meant  they  who 
are  rejected,  slandered,  and  hated  by  the  wicked  in  the  world 
of  spirits,  and  who  might  be  seduced,  and  also  who  desire  to 
know  truths,  but  cannot,  by  reason  of  falses  in  the  church,  may 
appear  from  these  passages:  "Thus  saith  Jehovah  God,  Feed 
the  Hock  of  the  slaughter,  whose  possessors  slay  them : — and  I 
M-ill  feed  the  flock  oi  slaughter,  even  you,  O  poor  of  the  flock," 
Zech.  xi.  4,  5,  7.     "  We  are  hilled  all  the  day  long ;  we  an^ 
counted  as  sheep  for  the  slaughter ;  O  Jehovah,  arise,  cast  us 
not  off  for  ever,"  Psalm  xliv.  22,  24.     '•  Jacob  shall  cause  them 
which  are  to  come  to  take  root,  or  is  he  slain  according  to  tiie 
slaughter  of  them  that  were  slain  by  him  ?"  Isaiah  xxvii.  6,  T. 
"  For  I  have  heard  a  voice  of  the  daughter  of  Zion, — woe  is  me, 
now ;  for  my  soul  is  wearied  because  of  ■murderers,^''  Jerem.  iv. 
3.     "They  shall  deliver  you  up  to  be  afflicted,  and  shall  kill 
you,  and  ye  shall  be  hated  of  all  nations  for  my  name's  sake," 
Matt.  xxiv.  9  ;  John  xvi.  33  :  this  the  Lord  said  to  his  disciples ; 
but  by  disciples  are  meant  all  who  worship  the  Lord,  and  live 
according  to  the  truths  of  his  Word  ;  these  the  wicked  in  the 
world  of  spirits  continually  desire  to  kill ;  but  because  there 
they  cannot  kill  the  body,  they  continually  desire  to  kill  the 
soul ;  and  since  they  are  not  able  to  do  this,  they  burn  with 
such  hatred  against  them,  that  nothing  delights  them  more  than 
to  do  them  mischief:  this  is  the  reason  why  they  were  guarded 
by  the  Lord,  and  when  the  wicked  were  cast  into  hell,  which 
happened  after  the  last  judgment,  they  were  brought  out  ot^ 
their  places  of  security  :  but  see  the  explanation  of  chaj).  xx.,  n. 
846,  which  treats  of  this  subject.     That  to  slay  or  kill,  in  tho 
231 


326 — 328  THE  apocalypse  revealed.  [Chap.  vi. 

Word,  signifies  to  destroy  souls,  which  is  to  kill  spiritually,  is 
evident  from  many  places  there,  as  also  from  the  following: 
Isaiah  xiv.  19 — 21 ;  xxvi.  21 ;  Jerem.  xxy.  33 ;  Lament,  ii.  21 ; 
Ezek.  ix.  1,  6;  Apoc.  xxviii.  24, 

326.  A7id  they  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  signifies  grief  of 
lieart,  as  is  evident  from  what  now  follo\ys. 

327.  Sayijig,  How  long,  0  Lord,  holy  and  true,  dost  thou 
not  judge  and  avenge  our  hlood  on  thein  that  dwell  on  the  earth? 
sio-nifies,  by  reason  that  the  last  judgment  was  protracted,  and 
they  wh  >  offer  violence  to  the  Word  and  .to  the  Lord's  Divine 
Humanity  were  not  removed.  "  How  long,  O  Lord,  holy  and 
true,  dost  thou  not  judge,"  signifies,  why  is  the  last  judgment 
protracted?  "and  avenge  our  blood,"  signifies,  why  in  justice 
are  they  not  condemned,  who  have  oftered  them  violence  for 
acknowledging  the  Lord's  Divine  Humanity,  and  living  in  con- 
formity to  the  truths  of  his  Word?  by  blood  is  signified  violence 
offered  to  them,  n.  379 ;  by  "  them  that  dwelfon  the  earth," 
are  meant  the  wicked  in  the  world  of  sj^irits,  from  whom  they 
were  guarded  that  they  might  not  be  hurt. 

328.  And  white  robes  were  given  unto  every  one  of  them, 
signifies  that  there  was  given  them  a  communication  and  con- 
i unction  with  the  angels  who  were  in  divine  truths.  Garments 
signify  truths,  n.  166,  and  white  garments  genuine  truths,  n. 
212.  Garments  have  this  signification,  because  all  in  the  hea- 
vens are  clothed  according  to  the  truths  they  possess;  every  one 
is  clothed  according  to  conjunction  with  angelic  societies;  there- 
fore when  conjunction  is  granted,  they  immediately  aj^pear 
clothed  in  a  similar  manner;  hence  it  is,  that  by  white  robes 
being  given  them,  is  signified  that  communication  and  conjunc- 
tion was  given  them  with  angels  who  were  in  divine  truths. 
Robes,  mantles,  and  cloaks,  signify  truths  in  common,  because 
they  are  a  common  covering  to  the  body.  He  who  is  aware  of 
this  their  signification,  may  know  the  arcana  which  are  con- 
tained in  the  following  passages :  That  Elijah,  when  he  found 
Elisha,  "  cast  his  mantle  upon  him,"  1  Kings  xix.  19,  That 
Elijah  with  his  mantle  divided  the  waters  of  Jordan,  2  Kings 
ii.  8,  And  in  like  manner  Elisha,  2  Kings  ii.  14,  That  the 
inantle  of  Elijah  fell  from  him  when  he  was  taken  up  into  hea- 
ven, and  that  Elisha  took  it  up,  2  Kings  ii.  12, 13;  for  by  Elijah 
and  Elisha  the  Lord  was  represented  as  to  the  Word,  and  there- 
lore  their  mantle  signified  the  divine  truth  of  the  Word  in 
general.  As  also  what  was  signified  by  the  robe  of  Aaron's 
ephod,  at  the  border  of  which  there  were  pomegranates  of  blue 
and  purple,  and  golden  bells,  Exod,  xxviii,  31 — 35 ;  that  it 
signified  divine  truth  in  common,  may  be  seen  in  The  Ar- 
cana Coelestia,  n,  9825.  Cloaks  and  mantles  have  a  similar 
signification  in  the  following  passages :  "  All  the  ]H*inces  of 
the  sea  shall  come  down,  and  lay  away  their  robcs^''  Ezek. 

232 


y_  10 12.]        THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED,  329-  331 

xxvi.  "iO.  The  scribes  and  Pliarisees  make  broad  the  bordera 
of  tlieir  gannenfs,  that  they  may  be  seen  ol*  men,  Matt,  xxiii.  5. 
''My  i»e()ple  is  risen  up  as  an  enemy,  ye  pnll  off  the  robe  with 
tho  ^gan/ient  from  them  that  pass  by,"  Micah  ii.  8;  and  in 
other  places. 

329.  And  ii  was  said  unto  them,  that  they  should  rest  yet 
for  a  little  season,  until  tlieir  fellow-servants  also  and  their 
"lirethren,  that  should  he  killed  as  they  were,  should  he  fulfilled, 
signilies  that  the  last  judgment  should  yet  be  protracted  a  little, 
till  they  should  be  collected  from  all  quarters,  who  would,  in 
like  manner,  be  hated,  abused,  and  rejected  by  the  wicked  foi 
acknowledging  the  Lord's  Divine  Humanity,  and  living  in  con- 
formity to  tlic  trutiis  of  his  Word.  That  tliis  is  tlie  signilication, 
appears  from  whatdias  been  said  above.  Similar  is  the  signili- 
cation of  this  passage  in  Isaiah:  "Thy  dead  men  shall  live  ; 
Awake  and  sing,  ye  that  dwell  in  the  dust :  Come,  my  people, 
enter  thou  into  thy^  chambers,  and  shut  thy  door  after  thee : 
hide  thyself  as  it  were  for  a  little  moment,  until  tiie  indignation 
be  overpast.  For,  behold,  Jehovah  cometh  out  of  his  place,  to 
pursue  the  inhabitants  of  the  eartli  for  their  iniquity  :  the  earth 
also  shall  disclose  her  blood,  and  shall  no  more  cover  her  slain," 
xxvi.  19 — 21.  But,  as  was  observed  before,  this  subject,  and 
others  of  a  similar  nature,  are  treated  of  in  chapter  xx.,  which 
is  explained,  n.  839 — 874. 

330.  And  Ihcheld  when  he  had  opened  the  sixth  seal,  signi- 
fies exploration  from  the  Lord  of  their  state  of  life,  who  were 
interiorly  evil,  and  on  whom  the  last  judgment  was  to  be  exe- 
cuted. That  these  are  treated  of  is  evident  from  what  now 
follows  ;  but  that  they  may  be  undei"Stoed,  two  arcana  are  to  be 
revealed  :  First,  that  the  last  judgment  was  executed  only  on 
such  as  appeared  in  their  external  form  as  Christians,  and  orally 
professed  the  things  of  the  church,  but  in  their  internal  form, 
or  in  their  hearts,  were  against  them  ;  and,  as  such,  they  were 
therefore  in  conjunction  with  the  ultinuite  heaven  as  to  their 
exteriors,  but  with  hell  as  to  their  interiors.  Secondly,  that  as 
long  as  they  were  in  conjunction  with  the  ultimate  heaven,  so 
long  the  internals  of  their  will  and  their  love  were  closed,  for 
which  reason  they  did  not  appear  wicked  to  others ;  but  when 
they  were  separated  from  the  ultimate  heaven,  then  their  inte- 
riors we!-e  disclosed,  and  found  to  be  totally  in  opposition  to 
their  exteriors,  from  which  they  dissembled  and  feigned  that 
they  were  angels  of  heaven,  and  that  the  ])laces  they  inhabited 
were  heavens.  These  heavens,  so  called,  were  those  which 
passed  away  at  the  time  of  the  last  judgment,  Apoc.  xxi.  1. 
But  more  on  this  subject  may  be  seen  in  the  small  tract  on  The 
Last  Judgment,  n.  70,  71,  and  in  The  Continuation  of  the  Last 
Judgment^  n.  10. 

331.  And,  lo,  there  was  a  great  earthquake,  signifies  an 
233 


532  THE   APOCALYPSE   KEVEALED.  [Chap.  vi. 

entire  change  of  the  state  of  the  church  with  these,  and  their 
terror.  Earthquakes  signify  changes  of  state  in  the  church, 
because  the  eartli  signihes  the  church,  n.  285 ;  and  because  in 
the  spiritual  world,  when  the  state  of  the  church  is  perverted 
anywhere,  and  there  is  a  change,  an  earthquake  takes  place, 
aud  as  this  is  a  prelude  to  their  destruction,  the  eifect  is  terror; 
for  the  earths  in  the  spiritual  world  are  in  appearance  like  the 
earths  in  the  natural  world,  n.  260  ;  but  as  the  earthsthere,  like 
all  other  things  in  that  world,  are  from  a  spiritual  origin,  there- 
fore changes  occur  according  to  the  state  of  the  church  anioug 
the  inhabitants,  and  when  the  state  of  the  church  is  perverted, 
they  quake  and  tremble,  yea,  sink  down  and  are  moved  out  of 
their  places.  That  this  was  the  case,  when  the  last  judgment 
was  at  hand  and  accomplished,  may  be  seen  in  the  tract  on  The 
Last  Judgment.  Hence  it  may  appear  what  is  meant  by  quak- 
ings,  concussions,  and  commotions  of  the  earth,  in  the  follow- 
ino-  places:  ''There  shall  be  famines,  pestilences,  and  earth- 
quakes in  divers  places,"  Matt.  xxiv.  7  ;  Mark  xiii.  8  ;  Luke 
xxi.  11 ;  this  is  said  of  the  last  judgment.  "In  the  lire  of  my 
wrath  have  I  spoken,  Surely  in  that  day  there  shall  be  a  great 
earthquake^  and  all  the  men  that  are  upon  the  face  of  the  earth 
shall  shake^  and  the  mountains  shall  be  thrown  down,"  Ezek. 
xxxviii.  18 — 20.  "  And  there  was  a  great  earthquake.,  such  as 
was  not  since  men  were  upon  the  earth,"  Apoc.  xvi.  18.  "  I 
will  shake  the  heavens,  and  the  earth  shall  be  removed  out  of 
her  place,  in  the  wrath  of  Jehovah  of  Hosts,"  Isaiah  xiii.  12, 
13.  "  And  the  foundations  of  the  earth  do  shake.,  the  earth  is 
moved  exceedingly.,  for  the  transgression  thereof  shall  be  heavy 
upon  it,"  Isaiah  xxiv.  18 — 20.  "  Then  the  foundations  pf  the 
world  were  moved  at  thy  rebuke,  O  Jehovah,"  Psalm  xviii.  17, 
18.  The  mountains  quake  at  the  presence  of  Jehovah,  and  the 
rocks  are  thrown  down.,  Nahum  i.  5,  6 :  and  so  in  other  places; 
as  Jerem.  x.  10  ;  xlix.  21  ;  Joel  ii.  10 ;  Haggai  ii.  6,  7  ;  Apoc. 
xi.  19  ;  and  elsewhere.  But  these  things  are  to  be  understood 
as  having  taken  place  in  the  spiritual  world,  and  not  in  the 
natural  world  ;  in  this  respect  they  signify  such  things  as  are 
explained  above. 

332.  And  the  sun  heeame  Hack  as  sackcloth  of  hair,  and  the 
moon  became  as  blood,  signifies  the  adulteration  of  all  the  good 
of  love  in  them,  and  the  folsification  of  all  the  truth  of  faith. 
That  the  sun  signifies  the  Lord  as  to  divine  love,  and  thence  the 
good  of  love  from  him  ;  and  in  an  opposite  sense,  a  denial  of  the 
Lord's  divinity,  and  thence  adulteration  of  the  good  of  love. 
may  be  seen  above,  n.  53.  And  as  the  sun  signifies  the  good 
of  love,  the  moon  therefore  signifies  the  truth  of  faith  ;  for  the 
sun  is  red  from  tire,  and  the  moon  is  white  by  virtue  of  the 
light  from  the  sun;  and  fire  signifies  the  good  of  love,  and  light, 
the  truth  from  that  good  :  concerning  the  moon,  see  also  the 
234 


V.  12 — 14. ]  niE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         333 — 335 

passages  adduced  above,  n.  53.  It  is  said  the  sun  Lecamc  black 
as  sackclotli  of  hair,  because  adulterated  good  in  itself  is  evil, 
and  evil  is  black  ;  and  the  reason  wiiy  it  is  said  the  moon  Ihe- 
eame  as  blood,  is,  because  blood  signifies  divine  truth,  and  in 
an  o])posite  sense,  divine  truth  falsified,  as  uiay  be  seen  below, 
n.  379,  6S4.  Nearly  the  same  is  said  of  the  sun  and  moon  in 
Joel :  "The  sun  shall  be  turned  into  darkness,  and  the  moon  into 
Mood.,  before  the  great  and  the  terrible  day  of  Jehovah,"  ii.  31. 

333.  And  the  stars  of  heaven  fell  unto  the  earth.,  signifies 
the  dispersion  of  all  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth.  That 
stars  signify  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth,  may  be  seen 
above,  u.  51  ;  that  to  fall  from  heaven  to  the  earth  means  to  be 
dispersed,  or  to  disa])pear,  is  evident ;  in  the  spiritual  world, 
also,  stars  appear  to  fall  from  heaven  to  the  earth  there,  when 
the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth  perish. 

334:.  Even  as  a  fig-tree  casteth  her  untimely  figs.,  when  she 
is  shaken  of  a  mighty  wind.,  signifies  by  ratiocinations  of  the 
natural  man  separated  from  the  spiritual.  It  is  said  to  have 
this  signiiication,  when  yet  it  is  a  comparison,  because  all  com- 
parisons in  the  Word  are  also  corres])ondences,  and  in  the  spir- 
itual sense  they  cohere  with  the  subject  treated  of,  as  in  the 
present  instance  ;  for  a  fig,  from  correspondence,  signifies  the 
natural  good  of  man  in  conjunction  with  his  spiritual  good,  but, 
here,  in  an  opposite  sense,  the  natural  good  of  man  separated 
from  his  spiritual  good,  which  is  not  good  ;  and  as  the  natural 
man,  when  separated  from  the  spiritual,  perverts  from  ratioci- 
nations the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth,  which  are  signified 
by  the  stars,  it  follows  that  this  is  signified  by  a  fig-tree  shaken 
by  a  mighty  wind.  That  wind  and  storm  signify  ratiocination, 
is  evident  from  many  passages  in  the  "Word,  but  it  is  not  neces- 
sary to  adduce  them  here,  because  it  is  a  comparison.  The 
reason  why  a  fig-tree  signifies  the  natural  good  of  man,  is, 
because  every  tree  signifies  something  of  the  church  in  man, 
therefore  also  man  with  respect  thereto:  by  way  of  confirmation 
we  select  tliese  passages:  All  the  hosts  of  heaven  "shall  fall 
down,  as  the  leaf  falleth  off  from  the  vine,  and  as  a  falling  fig 
from  the  fig-tree^''  Isaiah  xxxiv.  4.  "  I  will  surely  consume 
them,  there  shall  be  no  grapes  on  the  vine,  nor  figs  on  the  fig- 
tree.,  and  the  leaf  shall  fade,"  Jercm.  viii.  13.  "All  thy  strong- 
holds shall  be  like  fig-trees  with  the  first  ripe  figs  j  if  they  be 
shaken,  they  shall  even  fall  into  the  mouth  of  the  eater,"  Ga- 
lium iii.  12;  besides  other  places  ;  as  Isaiah  xxxiv.  2,  3,  5,  8  ; 
xxxviii.  21  ;  Jerem.  xxix.  17, 18  ;  Hosea  ii.  12  ;  ix.  10  ;  Joel  i. 
7,  12  ;  Zech.  iii.  10  ;  Matt.  xxi.  18—21 :  xxiv.  32,  33;  Mark  xi. 
12 — 15,  19 — 25  ;  Luke  vi.  44 ;  xiii.  6 — 9  ;  in  which  places 
nothing  else  is  meant  by  a  fig-tree. 

335.  And  the  heavens  departed  as  a  scroll  when  it  is  rolled 
together.,  signifies  separation  from  heaven  and  conjunction  with 
235 


836  'ruE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  [Chap.  vi. 

liell.  It  is  said  tliat  heaven  departed  as  a  scroll  rolled  together, 
because  the  interior  understanding,  and  hence  the  thought,  of 
man,  is  as  heaven ;  for  his  understanding  can  be  elevated  into 
the  light  of  heaven,  and  in  such  elevation  can  think  with  the 
angels  concerning  God,  concerning  love  and  faith,  and  concern- 
ing eternal  life  :  but  if  his  will  is  not  at  the  same  time  elevated 
into  the  heat  of  heaven,  the  man  is  not  conjoined  with  the 
angels  of  heaven,  thus  is  not  a  heaven.  That  this  is  the  case, 
maybe  seen  in  The  Angelic  Wisdom  concerning  the  Dim^i^ 
Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom,  Part  the  Fiftli.  B$^  virtue  of 
this  faculty  of  the  understanding,  the  wicked,  who  are  here 
treated  of,  "could  be  in  consociation  with  the  angels  of  the  ulti- 
mate heaven  ;  but  when  these  were  separated  from  the  former, 
their  heaven  departed  as  a  scroll  rolled  together.  By  a  scroll 
rolled  together  is  meant  parchment  rolled  up,  because  their 
books  were  skins,  and  the  comparison  is  made  with  a  book,  be- 
cause a  book  denotes  the  Word,  n.  256  ;  therefore  when  it  is 
rolled  up  like  a  skin,  nothing  that  it  contains  is  apparent,  and 
it  is  as  though  it  were  not.  On  this  account  the  like  is  said  in 
Isaiah  :  "  And  all  the  host  of  heaven  shall  be  dissolved,  and  the 
heavens  shall  be  rolled  together  as  a  scroll,  and  shall  fall  down 
us  the  leaf  falleth  froni  the  hg-tree,"  xxxiv.  4.  Hosts  are  the 
goods  and  truths  of  the  church  derived  from  the  Word,  n.  447. 
From  these  considerations  it  may  appear,  that  by  the  heavens 
departing  as  a  scroll  rolled  together,  is  signified  separation  from 
heaven,  and  conjunction  with  hell.  That  separation  from  hea- 
ren  is  conjunction  with  hell,  is  evident. 

336.  And  every  mountain  and  island  were  moved  out  of 
their  places,  signifies  that  all  the  good  of  love  and  truth  of 
faith  departed."  That  this  is  the  signification  of  these  words  no 
one  could  discover  without  the  spiritual  sense ;  they  have  this 
signification  however,  because  by  mountains  are  understood 
those  who  are  in  the  good  of  love,  by  reason  that  the  angels 
dwell  upon  mountains  ;  such  as  are  in  love  to  the  Lord  dwelling 
on  high  mountains,  and  such  as  are  in  love  towards  their  neigh- 
bour dwelling  on  lower  ones;  wherefore  by  every  mountain  is 
signified  every  good  of  love.  By  islands  are  meant  those  who 
are  more  remote  from  the  worship  of  God,  see  above,  n.  34; 
here  those  who  are  in  faith,  and  not  so  much  in  the  good  of  love, 
therefore,  in  an  abstract  sense,  every  island  signifies  every 
truth  of  faith ;  by  being  moved  out  of  their  places  is  signified 
to  recede.  It  is  owing  to  the  circumstance  of  the  angels  dwell- 
ing u}»n  mountains  and  hills,  that  mountains  and  hills  in  the 
Word  signify  heaven  and  the  church,  where  there  exists  love  to 
the  Lord  and  love  to  the  neighbour,  and,  in  an  opposite  sense, 
hell,  where  there  exists  self-love  and  the  love  of  the  world. 
That  by  mountains  and  hills  are  signified  lieaven  and  the 
church,  where  there  exists  love  to  the  Lord  and  love  to  the 
236 


V.  14.]  THE  ArOCALYPSE  RKVEALKD.  336 

neighbour,  and  tliu?  where  tlie   Lord   is,  is  evident  from  tlie 
tblluwing  places:  "I  will  lift  np  mine  eyes  to  the  hills^  from 
whence  cometh  my  lielp,"  Fsalni  cxxi.  1.     "Behold  upon  the 
mountains   the  feet  of  him   that  bringeth  good  tidings,  that 
publisheth  peace,"  Nahiim  i.  15;  Isaiah  lii.  7.     "Praise  Jeho- 
vah, moimtains  and  all  hills,^^  Isaiah  cxlviii.  9.     The  /n'll  of 
God  is  as  the  Idll  of  Bashan,  a  h'njli  h'dl  is  the  hill  of  Bashan. 
Why  leap  ye,  ye  high  hills  f  the  hill  which  Jehovah  desireth 
to  (Iwell  in,  yea,  Jehovah  will  dwell  in  it  for  ever,"  Psalm 
Ixviii.   15,  16.     "Ye  tnouiitains  that  ye  skipped  like  rams; 
and  ye  little  hills  like  lambs  ?     Tremble,  thou  earth,  at  the  pre- 
sence of  the  Lord,"  Psalm  cxiv.  4,  T.     "  And  I  will  bring 
forth  a  seed  out  of  Jacob,  and  out  of  Judah  an  inheritor  of 
my  mountains,  and  mine  elect  shall  inherit  it,  and  my  servants 
shall  dwell  there,"  Isaiah  Ixv.  9.     At  the  consummation  of 
the  age ;    "  then  let  them  which  be  in  Judea  iiee  into  the 
mountains,''^  Matt.  xxiv.  16.     "  Thy  righteousness,  O  Jehovah, 
is  like  the  great  mountains^''  Psalm  xxxvi.  6.     Jehovah  will 
go  forth  to  battle,  "  and  his  feet  shall  stand  in  that  day  upon 
the  Mount  of  Olives,  which  is  before  Jerusalem  on  the  east," 
ZecJi.  xiv.  4.     Because  the  Mount  of  Olives  signified  divine 
love,  therefore  the  Lord  in  the  day-time  taught  in  the  temple, 
but  "  at  night  he  went  out  and  abode  in  the  Mount  of  Olives,''^ 
Luke  xxi.  87  ;  xxii.  39;  John  viji.  1.     And  for  the  same  reason 
the  Lord  discoursed  with  his  disciples  upon  that  mount  concern- 
ing his  coming  and  the  consummation  of  the  age.  Matt.  xxiv.  3 ; 
Mark  xiii.  3,  and  following  verses.     And  also  went  from  thence 
to  Jerusalem  and  suffered,  Matt.  xxi.  1 ;  xxvi.  30 ;  Mark  xi.  1 ; 
xiv.  20  ;  Luke  xix.  29,  37  ;  xxi.  37  ;  xxii.  39.     Because  a  moun- 
tain signified  heaven  and  love,  Jehovah  descended  upon  the 
top  of  Mount  Sinai,  and  promulgated  the  law,  Exod.  xix.  20; 
xxiv.  17.     And  for  the  same  reason  the  Lord  was  transfigured 
before  Peter,  James,  and  John,  upon  a  high  mountain,  Matt, 
xvii.  1.     And  on  this  account  Zion  was  ujion  a  mountain,  ana 
also  Jerusalem,  and  they  are  called  the  Mountain  of  Jehovah 
and  tlie  Mountain  of  Holiness,  in  many  parts  of  the  Word. 
Mountains  and  hills  have  a  similar  signification  in  other  places; 
as  in  Isaiah  vii.  25  ;  xxx.  25  ;  xl.  9 ;  xliv.  23  ;  xlix.  11,  13  ;  iv. 
12  ;  Jerem.  xvi.  15,  16  ;  Ezek.  xxxvi.  8  ;  Joel  iii.  18  ;  Amos  iv. 
12.  13 ;  ix.  13,  14 ;  Psalm  Ixxx.  9,  10  ;  Psalm  civ.  6—10,  13. 
That  those  loves  are  signified  by  mountains  and  hills,  may 
appear  still  more  evidently  from  their  opposite  sense,  in  which 
they  signify  infernal  loves,  which  are  self-love  and  the  love  of 
the  world,  as  is  manifest  from  the  following  passages  :  The  day 
of  Jehovah  shall  come  upon  "all  the  Idgh  tnountains,  and  upon 
all  the  hills  that  are  lifted  up,"  Isaiah  ii.  12,  14.     "Every  val- 
ley shall  be  exalted,  and  every  mountaiii  and  hill  shall  be  mado 
low,"  Isaiah  xl.  3,  4.     "  The  moimtains  flowed  down  at  tli}- 
237 


337  THE   APOCALYPSE    KEVEALED.  [CllRp.  Vl. 

presence,"  Isaiali  Ixiv.  1,  3.  "Behold,  I  am  against  thee,  O 
destroying  Tnountain,  which  destroyest  all  the  earth,  and  will 
make  thee  a  hurnt  inountain^''  Jerem.  li.  25.  "  I  beheld  the 
mountains,  and  lo,  they  trembled,  and  all  the  hills  moved 
lightly,"  Jerem.  iv.  23,  24.  "For  a  fire  is  kindled  in  mine 
anger, — and  it  shall  set  on  fire  the  foundations  of  the  nooiin- 
tains,^''  Dent,  xxxii.  22.  "  I  will  make  waste  mountains  and 
hills,^^  Isaiah  xlii.  15.  "  Behold,  (O  Jacob,)  I  will  make  thee 
a  new  sliarp  threshing  instrument  having  teeth,  thou  shalt 
thresh  the  ?nou7itains,  and  beat  them  small,  and  shalt  make  the 
hills  as  chafi", — and  the  wind  shall  carry  them  away,"  Isaiah 
xli.  15,  16.  "  Give  glory  to  Jehovah  your  God,  before  your 
i'eet  stumble  upon  the  7nountains  of  tioilight^''  Jerem.  xiii.  16. 
Nor  is  any  thing  else  meant  by  the  seven  mimntains,  upon  which 
the  woman  sat,  which  was  Babylon,  Apoc.  xvii.  9 ;  besides 
other  places  ;  as  Isaiah  xiv.  13  ;  lii.  7 ;  Jerem.  ix.  10 ;  Ezek. 
vi.  3  ;  xxxiv.  6 ;  Micah  vi.  1,  2 ;  Nahum  i.  4,  5 ;  Psalm  xlvi. 
3,  4.  From  the  above  it  is  evident  what  is  to  be  understood 
by  every  mountain  and  island  being  moved  out  of  their  places  ; 
as  also  in  what  follows,  by  "  And  every  island  fled  away,  and 
the  mountains  were  not  found,"  Apoc.  xvi.  20;  n.  714. 

337.  And  the  kings  of  the  earth.,  and  the  great  men,  and  the 
rich  men,  and  the  chief -captains,  and  the  mighty  men,  and  every 
bond-man,  and  evertj  free-man,  signifies  those  who  before  sepa- 
ration were  in  the  understanding  of  truth  and  good,  in  the 
science  of  the  knowledges  thereof,  in  erudition,  either  from 
others  or  from  themselves,  and  yet  not  in  a  life  conformable 
thereto.  That  such  is  the  signification  of  the  above  words  in 
their  order,  can  only  be  known  by  those  who  are  acquainted 
with  the  meaning  of  kings,  of  great  men,  rich  men,  chief- 
captains,  mighty  men,  bond-men,  and  free-men,  in  the  spiritual 
sense  ;  for  by  kings,  in  this  sense,  are  signified  they  who  are  in 
truths ;  by  great  men,  they  who  are  in  goods ;  by  rich  men, 
they  who  are  in  the  knowledges  of  truth ;  by  chief-captains, 
they  who  are  in  the  knowledges  of  good  ;  by  mighty  men,  they 
who  are  in  erudition  ;  by  servants,  they  who  are  in  such  things 
from  others,  thus  from  the  memory  ;  by  free-men,  they  who  arc 
in  such  things  from  themselves,  thus  from  judgment.  But  to 
prove  the  signification  of  all  these  names  from  the  Word  would 
be  too  prolix ;  what  is  signified  by  kings  has  been  shown  before, 
n.  20,  and  what  by  rich  men,  n.  206;  what  by  great  men,  is 
evident  from  Jerem.  v.  5  ;  Nahum  iii,  10 ;  Jonah  iii.  7 ;  for 
great  is  predicated  of  good,  n.  896,  898  ;  that  mighty  men,  and 
bond-men,  and  free-men,  are  such  as  are  in  erudition,  either 
from  others  or  from  themselves,  will  be  seen  below.  It  is  said, 
they  who  are  in  these  things,  and  yet  not  in  a  life  according  to 
them,  because  wicked  men,  yea,  the  worst  of  men,  may  be  in 
the  science  and  in  the  understanding  of  the  knowledges  of  good 
238 


7  15,  16.]         THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  338,  339 

and  truth,  and  also  in  mucli  erudition,  but  as  tlicy  are  not  in 
a  lite  according  to  them,  the_y  are  in  fact  not  in  them ;  for  what 
is  only  in  the  understanding,  and  not  at  the  same  time  in  the 
life,  is  not  in  a  man,  but  without,  as  it  were  in  an  outer  court; 
but  that  wliich  is  at  the  same  time  in  the  life,  is  in  a  man,  it  is 
within  him  as  in  a  house;  therefore  the  latter  are  preserved, 
and  the  former  rejected. 

338.  Hid  themselves  iii  the  de7is  and  in  the  rochs  of  the  moun- 
tains, signifies  that  they  were  now  in  evils  and  in  falses  of  evil. 
To  hide  themselves  in  the  dens  and  in  the  rocks  of  the  monn- 
tains,  signifies  to  be  in  evils  and  in  falses  of  evil,  because  they 
who  in  the  sight  of  the  world  have  appeared  to  be  in  the  good 
of  love,  and  yet  were  in  evil,  after  death  hide  themselves  in 
dens ;  and  they  who  have  pretended  to  be  principled  in  the 
truths  of  faith,  and  yet  were  in  fiilses  of  evil,  hide  themselves  in 
the  rocivs  of  the  mountains.  Tiie  entrances  appear  like  holes  in 
the  earth,  and  like  clefts  in  tlie  mountains,  into  which  they 
crawl  like  serpents,  and  there  hide  themselves.  Tliat  such  are 
their  abiding  places  I  have  frequently  seen.  Hence  it  is  that 
by  dens  or  caves  are  signified  the  evils  with  such,  and  by  holes 
and  clefts  the  falses  of  evil,  in  the  following  places :  In  that 
day  "they  shall  go  into  the  holes  of  the  rocJiS  and  into  the  caves 
of  the  earth,  when  Jehovah  ariseth  to  shake  terribly  the  earth," 
Isaiah  ii.  19.  In  that  day  they  shall  "go  into  the  clefts  of  the 
rocks  and  into  the  tojjs  of  the  rugged  rocks  for  fear  of  Jehovah," 
Isaiah  ii.  21.  "  To  dwell  in  the  cliffs  of  the  valleys,  in  caves 
<,>f  the  earth,  and  in  the  rocks,"  Job  xxx.  6.  "  The  pride  of 
thine  heart  hath  deceived  thee,  thou  that  dwellest  in  the  clefts 
(tf  the  rock,"  Obad.  verse  3.  In  that  day  "  they  shall  come 
and  shall  rest  in  the  desolate  valleys,  and  in  the  holes  of  the 
rocks,"  Isaiali  vii.  19.  "Ijecause  tlie  palaces  shall  be  forsaken 
— the  forts  and  towers  shall  be  for  de7is  for  ever,"  Isaiah  xxxii. 
14.  "The  pride  of  thine  heart  hath  deceived  thee,  O  thou  that 
dwellest  in  the  clefts  of  the  rock,"  Jerem.  xlix.  16.  "  And 
they  shall  hunt  them  from  every  mountain  and  hill,  and  out  of 
the  holes  of  the  rocks;  they  are  not  hid  from  my  face,  neither 
is  their  iniquity  hid  from  mine  eyes,"  Jerem,.  xvi.  16,  17.  In 
tliat  day  "  the  sucking  child  sliall  play  on  the  hole  of  the  asp, 
and  the  weaned  child  shall  put  his  hand  on  tlie  cockatrice  6?tfw," 
Isaiah  xi.  8. 

339.  And  said  to  the  mountains  and  rocks,  Fall  on  us,  and 
hide  us  from  thefaceof  Ilim  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  from 
the  wrath  of  the  Lamb,  signifies  confirmations  of  evils  by  falsity, 
and  of  falsity  from  evil,  until  they  did  not  acknowledge  any 
thing  divine  in  the  Lord.  Mountains  signify  the  loves  of  evil, 
thus  evils,  n.  336,  and  rocks  signify  the  falses  of  faith  ;  by  fall- 
ing upon  them  and  hiding  them,  is  t^ignified  to  be  defended 
against  influx  from  heaven  ;  and  as  this  is  doufj  by  confirraa 

239 


340  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Cluip.   vi, 

tions  of  evil  by  falsity,  and  by  confirmations  of  falsity  from  evil, 
therefore  these  are  signified  ;  by  hiding  themselves  from  the  face 
of  Him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  from  the  wrath  of  th^p 
Lamb,  is  signified  until  they  do  not  acknowledge  any  thing  di- 
vine in  the  Lord ;  by  Him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne  is  meant 
the  Lord's  divinity,  from  whence  are  all  things ;  and  by  the 
Lamb  is  meant  himself  as  to  the  Divine  Humanity;  the  Lord 
as  to  l)oth  was  upon  the  throne,  as  has  been  shown  above.  It  is 
said  from  his  face  and  from  his  anger,  because  all  they  who  are 
in  dens  and  rocks,  dare  not  set  foot  out  of  them,  nor  even  put 
forth  a  finger,  by  reason  of  the  pain  and  torment  consequent  on 
doing  so  ;  this  is  owing  to  the  hatred  which  they  bear  against 
the  Lord,  even  to  their  not  being  able  to  name  him  ;  and  the 
divine  sphere  of  the  Lord  fills  all  things,  which  they  cannot 
remove  from  themselves,  but  by  confirmations  of  evil  by  falsity, 
and  of  falsity  from  evil ;  the  delights  of  the  wicked  occasion 
this.  Similar  is  the  signification  of  this  passage  in  Hosea: 
"  And  they  shall  say  to  the  -mountains,  Cover  us,  and  to  the 
hills,  Fall  on  us,"  x.  8  :  and  in  Luke  :  "Then  shall  they  begin 
to  say  to  the  mountains.  Fall  on  us  ;  and  to  the  hills,  Cover  us," 
xxiii.  30.  That  this  is  the  spiritual  sense  of  these  words,  can- 
not appear  in  the  letter,  but  the  spiritual  sense  is  rendered 
apparent  by  this  consideration,  that  when  a  last  judgment  is 
executed,  they  who  are  in  evil,  and  desire  to  be  in  good,  expe- 
rience great  sufierings  in  the  beginning  ;  whereas  they  suffer 
less  on  such  an  occasion  who  confirm  themselves  in  tlieir  evil  by 
falses,  for  these  last  cover  their  evil  by  falses,  but  the  former 
lay  bare  their  evil,  and  in  this  case  cannot  support  the  divine 
influx,  as  is  seen  in  what  follows.  The  dens  and  caves  into 
which  they  cast  themselves,  are  correspondences. 

340.  For  the  great  day  of  his  wrath  is  come,  and  who  shall 
he  able  to  stand?  signifies  that  they  were  made  such  of  them- 
selves by  means  of  their  separation  from  the  good  and  laithfnl 
on  account  of  the  last  judgment,  which  otherwise  they  would 
not  be  able  to  abide.  The  great  day  of  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb, 
signifies  the  day  of  the  last  judgment ;  and  who  shall  be  able  to 
stand  ?  signifies  their  inability  to  su^^port  it  by  reason  of  their 
torment ;  for  when  the  last  judgment  is  at  hand,  the  Lord,  to- 
gether with  heaven,  approaches,  and  of  those  who  are  below  in 
the  spiritual  world,  none  can  support  the  Lord's  coming,  but 
those  who  are  interiorly  good,  and  they  are  interiorly  good, 
who  shun  evils  as  sins,  and  look  to  the  Lord.  That  the  day  of 
the  Lord's  anger  signilies  the  last  judgment  is  evident  from  the 
following  passages  :  "Before  the  fierce  anger  of  Jehovah  come 
upon  you,  before  the  day  of  Jehovah's  anger  come  upon  you, 
— it  may  be  ye  shall  be  hid  in  the  day  of  Jehovah's  anger, ''^ 
Zcph.  ii.  2,  3.  "  Behold  the  day  of  Jehovah  cometh,  cruel  both 
with  wrath  and  fierce  anger,''''  Isaiah  xiii.  9,  13.  "The  great 
240 


V.   16.]  THE    APOCAI.YPSK    KEVKALED.  341 

day  of  Jehovah  is  near,  a  day  of  wraths  a  day  of  trouble  and 
distress,  a  day  of  clouds  and  thick  darkness,"  Zo[)li,  i.  14,  15. 
"  Thy  xcrath  is  come,  and  tlic  time  of  the  dead  tliat  tliey  should 
be  judged,  and  tliat  thou  shouldest  give  reward  unto  thy  ,ser- 
vant8,  and  shouldest  destroy  them  that  destroy  the  earth," 
Apoc.  xi.  18.  "Kiss  the  8on,  lest  he  be  angry  and  ye  perisii 
in  the  way,  when  his  wrath  is  kindled  but  a  little.  Blessed  are 
all  they  that  put  their  trust  in  Him,"  Psalm  ii.  12. 

341.  To  the  above  I  will  add  this  Memorable  Relation, 
saw  some  of  the  English  clergy  assembled,  to  the  number  of  six 
hundred,  who  prayed  to  the  Lord  that  they  might  be  permitted 
to  ascend  to  a  society  of  the  superior  heaven  ;  which  being 
granted  them,  they  asceiuled.  And  when  they  entered,  to  their 
great  joy  they  saw  their  king,  the  present  king's  gi-andfather,* 
who  went  up  to  two  bishops  that  were  among  them,  wliom  he 
liad  known  in  the  world,  and  entering  into  discourse  with  them, 
asked  them,  "  How  came  you  here  V  To  which  they  replied, 
that  the}^  had  made  supplication  to  the  Lord,  and  it  was 
granted  them.  lie  said  to  them,  "  Wliy  to  the  Loi\l,  and  not 
to  God  the  Father  V  And  they  answered,  that  they  were  so 
instructed  below.  Upon  which  he  said,  '•  Did  I  not  sometimes 
tell  you  in  the  world,  that  tlie  Lord  ought  to  be  approached, 
and  also  that  charity  is  pi-imary  ?  What  reply  did  you  then 
make  concerning  the  Lord  ?■'  And  it  was  given  them  to  recol- 
lect, that  they  had  made  answer,  "  That  when  the  Father  is 
approached,  the  Son  also  is  approached."  But  the  angels  who 
were  about  the  king  said,  "You  are  mistaken,  you  did  not  think 
so,  nor  is  the  Lord  ai)proached,  when  application  is  made  to  the 
Father ;  but  God  the  Father  is  approached,  when  application 
is  made  to  the  Lord,  because  they  are  one,  like  soul  and  body. 
Who  applies  to  a  man's  soul,  that  he  may  thus  have  access  to 
his  body  ?  When  a  man  is  addressed  as  to  his  body  which  is 
seen,  is  not  his  soul  also  addressed,  which  is  not  seen  ?"  To  this 
they  were  silent ;  and  the  king  went  up  to  the  two  bishops,  with 
two  gifts  in  his  hand,  saying,  "  These  are  gifts  from  heaven." 
They  were  celestial  forms  of  gold  which  he  was  about  to  pre- 
sent to  them,  when  a  dusky  cloud  covered  them,  and  separated 
them,  and  they  descended  by  the  way  that  they  had  come  up ; 
and  wrote  tliese  things  in  a  l)ook. 

The  rest  of  the  English  clergy,  who  heard  that  their  com- 
panions had  been  permitted  to  ascend  to  the  superior  heaven, 
assembled  at  the  foot  of  a  mountain,  where  they  waited  foi 
their  return.  On  their  return  they  saluted  their  brethi-en,  and 
related  what  had  happened  to  them  in  heaven,  and  that  the 
king  had  presented  the  bishops  with  two  celestial  forms  of  gold, 
beautiful  to  behold;   but   that  they  fell  out   of  their   hands 

•  This  was  written  in  tlie  reiga  of  George  III.,  who  was  grandson  to  George  IL 

241  Q 


THE    APOCALYPSE    KEVKALED.  [Cliap.  Vll. 

Tliey  then  retired  into  a  grove,  which  m\is  nigh  at  hand,  and 
discoursed  among  themselves,  looking  about  to  see  if  any  one 
heard  them  ;  tliough  they  were  heard  nevertheless.  Their  dis- 
course was  about  unanimity  and  concord,  and  then  about  supre- 
macy and  dominion.  The  bishops  spoke,  and  the  rest  assented. 
And  on  a  sudden,  to  my  surprise,  they  no  longer  appeared  as 
many,  but  as  one  great  figure  whose  lace  resembled  that  of  a 
lion,  having  on  his  head  a  tnrreted  mitre,  on  which  was  a 
crown  :  and  he  spake  in  a  lofty  tone,  and  walked  proudly  ;  and, 
looking  behind,  he  said,  "  Who  else  has  a  right  to  supremacy 
but  me  !"  The  king  looked  down  from  heaven,  and  saw  them, 
first  all  as  one,  and  afterwards  as  several  unanimous ;  but  most 
of  them,  as  he  said,  in  a  secular  habit. 


CHAPTER  YII. 


1.  And  after  these  things  I  saw  four  angels  standing  on  the 
four  corners  of  the  earth,  holding  the  four  winds  of  the  earth, 
that  the  wind  should  not  blow  on  the  earth,  nor  on  the  sea,  nor 
On  any  tree. 

2.  And  I  saw  another  angel  ascending  from  the  rising  of 
the  sun,  having  the  seal  of  the  living  God,  And  he  cried  with 
a  loud  voice  lo  the  four  angels,  to  whom  it  Avas  given  to  hurt 
the  earth  and  the  sea, 

3.  Saying,  Hurt  not  the  earth,  neither  the  sea,  nor  the  trees, 
till  we  have  sealed  the  servants  of  our  God  in  their  foreheads. 

4.  And  I  heard  the  number  of  them  that  were  sealed  ;  a  hun- 
dred and  forty  and  four  thousand,  sealed  out  of  all  the  tribes 
of  the  children  of  Israel. 

5.  Of  the  tribe  of  Judah  M^ere  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of 
the  tribe  of  Reuben  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the  tribe 
of  Gad  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

6.  Of  the  tribe  of  Aser  were  sealed  twelve  thousatid.  Of  the 
tribe  of  Nephtalim  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the  tribe 
of  IVIanasses  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

7.  Of  the  tribe  of  Simeon  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of 
the  tribe  of  Levi  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the  tribe  of 
[ssachar  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

8.  Of  the  tribe  of  Zabulon  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 
Of  the  tribe  of  Joseph  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the 
tribe  of  Benjamin  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

9.  After  this,  I  beheld,  and,  lo,  a  great  multitude  which  no 
man  can  number,  of  all  nations,  and  tribes,  and  people,  and 
tongues,  stood  before  the  throne,  and  before  the  Lamb,  clothed 
with  white  robes,  and  palms  in  their  handa : 

242  -     ■ 


Chap,  vii.]  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED. 

10.  And  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  Salvation  to  onr 
God  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto  tlie  Lamb. 

11.  And  all  the  angels  stood  round  about  the  throne,  and 
about  the  elders,  and  the  four  animals,  and  fell  before  the 
throne  on  their  ftices,  and  worshipped  God, 

12.  Saying,  Amen  ;  blessing,  and  glory,  and  wisdom,  and 
thanksgiving,  and  honour,  and  power,  and  might,  be  unto  our 
God,  for  ever  and  ever,  amen. 

13.  And  one  of  the  elders  answered,  saying  unto  me,  Who 
are  these  that  are  arrayed  in  white  robes  ?  and  whence  came 
they  ? 

14.  And  I  said  unto  him,  Sir,  thou  knowest.  And  he  said 
unto  me.  These  are  they  that  come  out  of  great  tribulation,  and 
have  washed  their  robes,  and  made  them  white  in  the  blood  of 
the  Lamb. 

15.  Therefore  are  they  before  the  throne  of  God,  and  serve 
him  day  and  night  in  his  temple  :  and  He  that  sitteth  on  the 
throne  shall  dwell  among  them. 

16.  They  shall  hunger  no  more,  neither  thii-st  any  more  ; 
neither  shall  the  sun  light  on  them,  nor  any  heat. 

17.  For  the  Lamb  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  throne  shall 
feed  them,  and  shall  lead  them  unto  living  fountains  of  waters: 
and  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes. 


THE  SPIRITUAL  SENSE. 


The  Contents  of  the  whole  Chapter.  This  chapter  treats 
of  those  Mdio  are  and  will  be  in  the  Christian  heaven  ;  and  first 
of  their  separation  from  the  wicked,  verses  1  to  3 :  afterwards, 
of  those  who  are  in  love  to  the  Lord  and  thereby  in  wisdom,  of 
whom  the  superior  heavens  consist,  verses  4  to  8  ;  and  of  those 
who  are  in  charity  and  its  faith  from  the  Lord,  because  they 
liave  fought  against  evils,  of  whom  are  the  inferior  heavens, 
verses  9  to  17. 

The  Contents  of  each  Verse.  Y.  1,  "  And  after  these 
things,  I  saw  four  angels  standing  on  the  four  corners  of  the 
eartii,"  signifies  the  universal  heaven  now  in  the  efi'ort  to  exe- 
cute the  last  judgment :  "  Holding  the  four  winds  of  the  earth, 
that  the  wind  should  not  blow  on  the  earth,  nor  on  the  sea,  nor 
on  any  tree,"  signifies  a  withholding  and  restraining  by  the 
Lord,  of  a  nearer  and  thence  more  ])owerful  influx  into  the 
inferior  things,  where  the  good  were  in  conjunction  with  the 
wicked :  v.  2,  "  And  I  saw  another  angel  ascending  from  the 
rising  of  the  sun,"  signifies  the  Lord  providing  and  regulating 
243 


THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.       [Chap,  vii 

"  Having  the  seal  of  the  living  God,"  signifies  who  alone  knows 
all  and  every  one,  and  can  distinguish  and  separate  them  one 
from  another :  "  And  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice  to  the  four 
angels,  to  whom  it  was  given  to  hurt  the  earth  and  the  sea,  (v. 
3,)  saying.  Hurt  not  the  earth,  neither  the  sea,  nor  the  trees," 
signihes  the  preventing  and  withholding  by  the  Lord  of  a 
nearer  and  stronger  influx  into  inferior  things  :  "  Till  we  have 
sealed  the  servants  of  our  God  in  their  foreheads,"  signifies 
before  they  are  separated  who  are  in  truths  originating  in  good 
ff-om  the  Lord :  v.  4,  "  And  I  heard  the  number  of  them  that 
were  sealed,  a  hundred  and  forty  and  four  thousand,"  signifies 
all  who  acknowledge  the  Lord  to  be  the  God  of  heaven  and 
earth,  and  are  in  truths  of  doctrine  from  the  good  of  love,  from 
him  through  the  Word :  "  Sealed  out  of  all  the  tribes  of  the 
children  of  Israel,"  signifies  the  Lord's  heaven  and  church 
composed  of  them :  v.  5,  "  Of  the  tribe  of  Judah  were  sealed 
twelve  thousand,"  signifies  celestial  love,  which  is  love  to  the 
Lord,  and  this  with  all  who  will  be  in  the  new  heaven  and  the 
new  church :  "  Of  the  tribe  of  Reuben  were  sealed  twelve  thou- 
sand," signifies  wisdom  derived  from  celestial  love,  with  them 
who  are  there  :  "  Of  the  tribe  of  Gad  were  sealed  twelve  thou- 
sand," signifies  uses  of  life,  which  are  of  wisdom  derived  from 
that  love,  M'ith  those  who  were  there  :  v.  6,  "  Of  the  tribe  of 
Aser  were  sealed  twelve  thousand,"  signifies  mutual  love  with 
them:  "Of  the  tribe  of  !Nephtalim  were  spaled  twelve  thou- 
sand," signifies  a  perception  of  use,  and  whot  use  is  with  them : 
"  Of  the  tribe  of  Manasses  were  sealed  twelve  thousand,"  signi- 
fies the  will  of  serving,  and  of  action,  vMth  them:  v.  7,  "Of 
the  tribe  of  Simeon  were  sealed  twelve  thousand,"  signifies 
spiritual  love,  which  is  love  towards  the  neighbour,  with  them : 
"  Of  the  tribe  of  Levi  we»"e  sealed  twelve  thousand,"  signifies 
the  affection  of  truth  derived  from  good,  from  whence  comes 
intelligence,  with  them  :  "  Of  the  tribe  of  Issachar  were  sealed 
twelve  thousand,"  signifies  good  of  life  with  them :  v.  8,  "  Of 
the  tribe  of  Zabulon  were  sealed  twelve  thousand,"  signifies 
the  conjugial  love  of  ^ood  and  truth  with  them  :  "  Of  the  tribe 
of  Joseph  were  sealeci  twelve  thousand,"  signifies  the  doctrine 
of  good  and  truth  with  them  :  "  Of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin  were 
sealed  twelve  thousand,"  signifies  the  life  of  truth  derived  from 
good  according  to  doctrine  v/ith  them  :  v.  9,  "  After  this  I  be- 
held, and,  lo,  a  great  multitude  wliich  no  man  could  number," 
signifies  all  the  rest  who  are  not  among  the  above-recited,  and 
yet  are  in  the  new  heaven  and  new  church  of  the  Lord,  and 
who  constitute  the  ultimate  heaven  and  the  external  church, 
whose  quality  no  one  knows  but  the  Lord  alone  :  "  Of  all  na- 
tions, and  tribes,  and  people,  and  tongues,"  signifies  all  in  the 
Christian  world,  who  are  in  religion  from  good,  and  ir  truths 
from  docti-ine  :  "  Stood  before  the  throne  and  before  the  Lamb/' 
244 


Chap,  vii.]  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED. 

Bi'gnifies,  hearing  the  Lord  and  doinsr  his  precepts  :  "  Clothed 
with  wliite  robes,  and  pabns  in  their  liands,"  signifies  eoniniu- 
nication  and  conjunction  witli  the  superior  heavens,  and  con- 
fession from  divine  truths:  v.  10,  "  And  cried  with  a  h)nd  voice, 
Baying,  Salvation  to  our  God  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne  and 
unto  the  Lamb,"  signifies  an  acknowledgment  from  the  heart 
that  the  Lord  is  their  Saviour:  v,  11,  "And  all  the  angels 
stood  round  about  the  throne,  and  about  the  elders,  and  the 
four  animals,"  signifies  all  in  the  universal  heaven  :  "And  fell 
before  the  throne  on  their  faces,  and  worshipped  God,"  signifies 
the  humiliation  of  their  heart,  and,  from  humiliation,  adoration 
of  the  Lord  :  v.  12,  "  Saying,  Amen,"  signifies  divine  verity 
and  confirmation  therefrom  :  "  Blessing,  and  glory,  and  wisdom, 
and  thanksgiving,"  signifies  the  divine  spiritual  things  of  the 
Lord  :  "  And  honour,  and  power,  and  might,"  signifies  the 
divine  celestial  things  of  the  Lord  :  "  Be  unto  our  God  for  ever 
and  ever,"  signifies  these  things  in  the  Lord,  and  from  the 
Lord  to  eternity  :  "Amen,"  signifies  the  consent  of  all :  v.  13, 
"  And  one  of  tlie  elders  answered,  saying  unto  me.  Who  are 
these  that  are  arrayed  in  white  robes?  and  whence  came  the}' ? 
(v.  14,)  And  I  said  unto  him,  Sir,  thou  knowest,"  signifies  a 
desire  of  knowing  and  the  will  of  interrogating,  and  the  answer 
and  information  :  "  And  he  said  unto  me,  These  are  they  that 
come  out  of  great  tribulation,"  signifies  that  they  are  those 
who  have  been  in  temptations,  and  have  fought  against  evils 
and  falses  :  "  And  have  washed  their  robes,"  signifies  who  have 
cleansed  their  religious  principles  from  the  evils  of  falsity  : 
"  And  made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,"  signifios, 
and  purified  them  from  the  falses  of  evil  by  truths,  and  thus 
have  been  reformed  by  the  Lord  :  v.  15,  "  Therefore  are  they 
before  the  throne  of  God,  and  serve  him  day  and  night  in  his 
temple :  and  He  that  sitteth  on  the  throne  shall  dwell  among 
them,"  signifies  that  they  are  in  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  and 
constantly  and  faithfully  live  according  to  the  truths  which  they 
receive  from  him  in  his  church:  v.  1(5,  "They  shall  hunger  no 
more,  neither  thirst  any  more,"  signifies  that  hereafter  there 
shall  be  no  deficiency  of  goods  and  truths  with  them  :  "  Neither 
shall  the  sun  light  on  them,  nor  any  heat,"  signifies  that  hoi*e- 
after  they  shall  have  no  lusts  to  evil  nor  to  the  false  of  evil :  v. 
17,  "For  the  Lamb  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  throne  shall 
feed  them,"  signifies  that  the  Lord  alone  will  teach  them  : 
"  And  shall  lead  them  unto  living  fountains  of  waters,"  signi- 
fies, and  lead  them  by  the  truths  of  the  Word  to  conjunction 
with  himself:  "And  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their 
eyes,"  signifies  that  they  shall  no  longer  be  in  combats  against 
evils  and  their  falses,  and  thereby  in  sorrow,  but  in  goods  and 
truths,  and  thence  in  joys  celestial  from  the  Lord. 
245 


S42  THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.       [Chap.  vii. 


THE  EXPLANATION. 

342,  And  after  these  things  I  saw  four  angels  standing  on 
the  four  cornet's  of  the  earth,  signifies  the  universal  lieaven  now 
in  the  eflort  to  execute  the  last  judgment  on  those  who  were 
in  the  world  of  spirits.  Many  things  now  follow  concerning  the 
state  of  the  spiritual  world  previous  to  the  last  judgment,  which 
110  one  could  know  but  bj  revelation  from  the  Lord.  And 
since  it  has  been  granted  me  to  see  in  what  manner  the  last 
judgment  was  performed,  and  also  the  changes  which  preceded 
it,  and  the  arrangements  which  ensued;  I  am  thereby  enabled 
to  explain  the  signification  of  all  the  particulars  contained  in 
this  and  the  following  chapters.  By  the  four  angels  is  here 
signified  the  universal  heaven ;  by  the  four  corners  of  the  earth 
is  signified  the  universal  world  of  spirits,  which  is  in  the  midst 
between  heaven  and  hell ;  for  the  last  judgment  was  executed 
on  those  who  were  in  the  world  of  spirits,  but  not  on  any  one 
in  heaven,  nor  on  any  one  in  hell.  The  reason  why  the  angels 
signify  heaven,  is,  because  an  angel,  in  the  supreme  sense, 
means  the  Lord  as  to  the  Divine  Humanity,  n.  344 ;  and  as 
heaven  is  heaven  from  the  Lord,  by  the  angels  is  also  signified 
lieaven.  The  four  angels  here  signify  the  universal  heaven, 
because  they  were  seen  standing  on  the  four  corners  of  the 
earth,  and  by  the  four  corners  are  signified  the  four  quarters 
The  reason  why  the  above  words  signify  the  eflort  of  the  uni- 
versal heaven  to  execute  a  last  judgment,  is,  because  the  Lord, 
when  the  judgment  was  at  hand,  caused  the  heavens  to  draw 
near  over  the  world  of  spirits,  and  by  this  apj^roach  of  the 
heavens,  such  a  change  of  state  in  the  interiors  of  the  minds 
of  those  w^ho  were  below,  was  efiected,  that  they  saw  nothing 
but  terrors  before  their  eyes.  That  corners  signify  quarters,  and 
thence  four  corners  all  quarters,  may  appear  from  the  following 
passages :  "  Ye  shall  measure  from  without  the  city,  the  corner 
towards  the  east,  the  corner  towards  the  south,  the  corner  to- 
wards the  west,  and  the  corner  towards  the  north^''  Numb.  xxxv. 
5.  "Thou  shalt  make  the  boards  for  the  tabernacle  for  the 
wuth  side  [corner'],  and  for  the  north  side  [corner'],''^  Exod.  xxvi. 
18,  20,  23.  "And  a  court  for  the  south  side  [corner'],  for  the 
north  side  [cortier],  for  the  west  side  [co7'ner],  and  for  the 
east  side  [corner]^''  Exod.  xxvii.  9,  11 — 13.  The  four  quarters 
are  also  called  the  four  corners  frequently  inEzekiel,  as  in  chap, 
xlvii.  18 — 20,  and  xlviii.  Because  corners  signify  quarters, 
therefore  they  signify  all  things,  as  all  things  relating  to  heaven 
or  hell,  or  to  good  and  truth,  as  is  plain  from  these  passages  : 
Satan  shall  go  out  to  "  deceive  the  nations  which  are  in  the 
four  quarters  of  the  earth,"  Apoc.  xx,  8.  "  I  have  cut  olf  the 
nations :  their  corners  are  desolate,"  Zeph.  iii.  6.  "  Israel  was 
246 


V.  1.]  THE   APOCALYPSE  KEVEAIJiD.  343 

gathered  together  as  one  man, — and  the  corners  of  all  the 
people  stood  np,"  Judijos  xx.  1,  2,  "  A  sceptre  sluvU  rise  out 
of  Israel,  and  siiall  smite  the  corners  of  Moab,"  Numb.  xxiv. 
17.  "A  day  of  the  trumpet  and  alarm — and  a^^ainst  tlie  higli 
cww6/'5,"  Zeph.  i.  16.  "I  would  scatter  them  into  corners,'' 
Dent,  xxxii.  26.  That  a  corner  signifies  the  ultimate  mIucIi 
sustains  tilings  superior,  as  a  foundation  does  a  house,  and  thus 
also  all  things,  appears  from  these  passages  :  "  Behold,  I  lay  in 
Zion  for  a  foundation  a  stone,  a  tried  stone,  a  precious  eornei* 
sione,^^  Isaiah  xxviii.  16.  "And  they  shall  not  take  of  the 
stone  for  a  cor?ier,''  Jerem.  li.  26.  "  And  Juchih  shall  be  a 
corner  stone,'"  Zech.  x.  -1.  "The  stone  which  the  builders  re- 
fused is  become  the  head  of  the  corw<?r,"  Psalm  cxviii.  22; 
Matt.  xxi.  42 ;  Mark  xii.  10 ;  Luke  xx.  17,  18. 

343.  Holding  the  four  winds  of  the  earth,  that  the  wind  should 
not  Mow  on  the  earth,  nor  on  the  sea,  nor  on  any  tree,  signifies  a 
withholding  and  restraining  by  the  Lord  of  a  nearer  and  thence 
more  powerful  influx  into  inferior  things,  M'here  the  good  were 
in  conjunction  with  the  wicked.  It  is  to  be  noted  that  the  lasl 
judgment  takes  place  when  the  wicked  are  nndtiplied,  below  the 
heavens  in  the  world  of  spirits,  to  such  a  degree  that  the  angels 
in  the  heavens  camiot  subsist  in  their  state  of  love  and  wisdom; 
for  in  this  case  they  have  no  support  and  foundation  to  rest 
upon ;  and  as  this  is  occasioned  by  the  increase  of  the  wicked 
below,  therefore  the  Lord,  in  order  to  preserve  their  state,  flows 
in  with  his  divinity  more  and  more  strongly,  and  this  continues 
till  they  can  no  longer  be  preserved  by  any  influx,  without 
a  separation  of  the  wicked,  that  are  below,  from  the  good, 
which  is  effected  by  the  letting  down  and  drawing  near  of  the 
lieavens,  and  tlience  by  a  stronger  influx,  until  it  at  length 
becomes  insupportable  to  the  wicked,  upon  which  they  fleo 
away,  and  cast  themselves  into  hell.  This  is  also  what  is  sig- 
nified in  the  foregoing  cha])ter  by  these  words :  "  And  said  to 
the  mountains  and  rocks,  Fall  on  us,  and  hide  us  from  the  face 
of  Ilim  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  from  the  wrath  of  the 
Lamb  :  for  the  great  day  of  his  wrath  is  come ;  and  who  shall 
be  able  tf>  stand?"  Apoc.  vi.  16.  But  to  proceed  to  the  expla- 
nation. By  the  four  winds  is  signified  the  influx  of  the  heavens; 
by  the  earth,  the  sea,  and  every  tree,  are  signified  all  inferior 
principles  and  the  things  that  are  therein ;  by  the  earth  and  sea, 
all  inferior  ])rinciples ;  and  by  every  tree,  all  things  therein. 
That  wind  signifies  infiux,  properly  the  influx  of  truth  into  the 
understanding,  may  a])pear  from  the  following  passages  :  "  Thus 
saith  the  Lord  Jehovah,  Come  from  the  four  winds,  O  spirit, 
and  breathe  upon  these  slain,  that  they  may  live,"  Ezek.  xxxviii, 
9,  1  J.  There  were  seen  four  chariots,  at  which  there  were  four 
horses,  "  these  are  the  four  winds  of  the  heavens,"  Zech  vi.  I . 
5  "  Ye  must  be  born  again.  The  wind  blowerh  wlierc  il 
247 


843  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Cliap.  vit 

listeth,  but  tliou  canst  not  tell  whence  it  cometli,  and  v/hitlier 
it  goeth,"  John  iii.  7,  8.      The   Maker   ot'  the   earth    "hath 
established  the  world  by  his  wisdom, — and  bringeth  forth  the 
wind  out  of  his  treasures,"  Jerem.  x.  12,  13 ;  li.  15,  16  ;  Psalm 
cxxxv.  7.     Jehovah  "  causeth  his  loind  to  blow,  and  the  waters 
flow.     He  showeth  his  Word  unto  Jacob,  his  statutes  and  judg- 
ments unto  Israel,"  Psalm  cxlvii.  17 — 19.  "  Stormy  wind  ful- 
filling his  Word,"  Psalm  cxlviii.  8.  Jehovah  "  maketh  his  angels 
ivinds,^^  Psalm  civ.  3,  4.     Jehovah  "  did  fly  upon  the  wings  of 
the  wind,^^  Vsahn  xviii.  10, 11 ;  Psalm  civ.  3.  Tlie  wings  of  the 
wind  are  divine  trutlis  which  flow  in :  therefore  the  Lord  is  called 
"  The  breath  of  our  nostrils,"  Lament,  iv.  20  ;  and  it  is  writ- 
ten, that  he  breathed  into  the  nostrils  of  Adam  the  soul  of  lives, 
Gen.  ii.  7;  also,  that  "He  breathed  on  his  disciples,  and  said, 
Eeceive  ye  the   Holy  Ghost,"  John  xx.  21,  22.      The   Holy 
Ghost  (or  Spirit)  is  the  divine  truth  proceeding  from  the  Lord, 
whose  influx  into  the  disciples  was  represented,  and  thus  sig- 
nifi^ed,  by  his  breathing  upon  them.     That  wind  and  respiration 
signify  the  influx  of  divine  truth  into  the  understanding,  is 
from  the  correspondence  of  the  lungs  with  the  understanding, 
on  which  subject  see  The  Angelic  Wisdom  concernincj  the  Divini 
Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom^  n.  371 — 429.     As,  therefore,  a 
nearer  and  stronger  divine  influx  through  the  heavens  disperses 
truths  among  the  wicked,  therefore  wind  signifies  the  disper- 
sion of  truth  among  them,  and  thence  their  conjunction  with 
hell,  and  destruction ;    as  may  be  seen  from  these  passages : 
"  And  upon  Elam  will  I  bring  the  four  toinds  from  the  four 
quarters  of  heaven,  and  will  scatter  them,"  Jerem.  xlix.  36. 
"  Thou  shalt  fan  them,  and  the  loind  shall  carry  them  away,  and 
the  whirlwind  shall  scatter  them,"  Isaiah  xli.  16.    "  The  breath 
of  Jehovah^  like  a  stream  of  brimstone,  doth  kindle  it,"  Isaiah 
XXX.  33.     The  contrivers  of  iniquity  perish  "  by  the  blast  of 
God^  and  by  the  breath  of  his  nosty'ils  are  they  consumed,"  Job 
iv.  8,  9.     "  The  foundations  of  the  world  were  discovered  at 
thy  rebuke,  O  Jehovah,  at  the  blast  of  the  breath  of  thy  nostrils^'''' 
Psalm   xviii.    15.     "I   saw   in   my  vision, — and   behold,   the 
four  winds  of  the  heavens  strove  upon  the  great  sea.     And  four 
great  beasts  came  up,"  Dan.  vii.  2,  3,  and  following  verses. 
"  Behold,  a  whirlwind  of  Jehovah  is  gone  forth  in  fury — it  shall 
fall  grievously  upon  the  head  of  the  wicked,"  Jerem.  xxiii.  19; 
XXX.  23.     "  So  persecute  them  with  thy  storm,  and  make  them 
afraid  with  thy  temped,^''  Psalm  Ixxxiii.  15.      "The  way  of 
Jehovah  is  in  the  whirlwind  and  the  storm,''''  Nahum  i.  3  ; 
besides  other  places  ;  as  Jerem.  xxv.  82  ;  Ezek.  xiii.  13  ;  Hosea 
viii,  7;  Amos  i.  14;  Zech.  ix.  14;  Psalm  xi.  6;  Psalm  1.  3; 
Psalm  Iv.  8 ;  Psalm  cvii. ;  where  it  is  thus  written  :  "  For  he 
commandeth  and  raiseth  the  stormy  wind.     He  maketh   the 
ttorm  to  a  calm,  so  that  the  waves  thereof  are  still,"  verse  25j 
248 


V.  2,  3.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.         344 34G 

39 :  licnce  it  may  appear  Avliat  is  the  signification  of  these 
words  in  their  si)iritiml  sense.  Jesus  in  tlic  ship  "rebtiked  tiie 
wind,  and  said  unto  the  sea,  Peace,  he  still,  and  there  was  a 
great  calm,"  Mark  iv.  30,  40;  ].uke  viii.  23,  24.  By  tlie  sea 
is  here  signified  hull,  and  hy  the  wiiul  influx  thence.  Nor  is 
any  thing  but  strong  influx  signified  by  the  east  wind,  Ezek, 
xvii.  10;  Jereni.  xviii.  17;  xix.  12;  Ilosea  xiii.  15,  39;  Psalru 
xlviii.  7:  nor  by  the  same  wind  which  dried  up  the  Ilea  Sea, 
Exodus  xiv.  21 ;  concerning  which  it  is  thus  written  by  Moses: 
"  And  with  the  blast  of  thy  nostrils  the  waters  were  gathered 
together — as  a  heap, — thou  didst  hlow  with  thy  wind,  the  sea 
covered  them,"  Exod.  xv.  8,  10.  From  what  has  been  said,  it 
may  now  be  seen,  that  by  holding  the  four  winds  that  the  wind 
sliould  not  blow  on  the  earth,  is  signified  to  withhold  and  pre- 
vent a  nearer  and  stronger  influx  into  inferior  things. 

344.  And  Isaio  another  angel  ascending  frovi  the  rising  of 
the  SU71,  signilies  the  Lord  providing  and  regulating.  An  angel 
here  means  the  Lord  as  to  his  divine  love,  because  he  ascended 
from  the  east,  and  from  the  east  or  rising  of  the  sun,  is  from 
divine  love,  for  in  the  spiritual  world  the  Lord  is  the  sun  and 
the  east,  ami  is  so  called  as  to  tliat  love.  That  lie  was  providing 
and  moderating,  is  evident  from  his  command  to  the  four  angels, 
not  to  hurt  the  earth  and  the  sea,  till  the  servants  of  God  were 
sealed  on  their  foreheads.  That  the  Lord's  Divine  Humanity 
is  meant  by  an  angel,  in  the  supreme  sense,  is  manifest  from 
these  })assages  :  "The  angel  of  the  faces  of  Jehovah  saved  them ; 
in  his  love  and  in  his  pity  he  redeemed  them,  and  he  bare  them, 
and  carried  them  all  the  days  of  old,"  Isaiah  Ixiii,  9.  "The 
angel  which  redeemed  me  from  all  evil  bless  the  lads,"  Gen. 
xlviii.  16.  "The  Lord  whom  ye  seek,  shall  suddenly  come  to 
his  tem])le,  even  the  angel  of  the  covenant,  whom  ye  delight  in," 
Malachi  iii.  1.  "  Behold,  I  send  an  angel  before  thee  to  keep 
thee  in  the  way,  beware  of  him,  and  obey  his  voice, — for  my 
name  is  in  him,"  Exod.  xxiii.  20 — 23.  Angel  and  Sent,  in  the 
Hebrew  language,  are  expressed  by  one  and  the  same  word  ; 
lience  it  is  that  the  Lord  so  often  calls  liimself  the  Sent  of  the 
Father,  by  which  is  to  be  understood  the  Divine  Humanity. 
But  an  angel,  in  a  relative  sense,  denotes  every  one  who  re- 
ceives the  Lord,  both  in  heaven  and  in  the  world. 

345.  Having  the  seal  of  the  living  God,  signifies  who  alone 
knows  all  and  every  one,  and  can  distinguish  and  separate  them 
one  from  another.  Since  they  were  sealed  on  their  foreheads 
with  a  seal,  therefore  by  having  the  seal  of  the  living  God,  as 
spoken  of  the  Lord,  is  meant  to  know  all  and  every  one,  and  to 
be  able  to  distinguish  and  separate  the  servants  of  God  from 
those  who  are  not. 

346.  And  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice  to  the  four  angels,  to 
whom  it  was  given  to  hurt  the  earth  and  the  sea,  saying.  Hurt  not 

249 


34:7  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Cliap.  Vli. 

the  earth,  neither  the  sea,  nor  the  trees,  signifies  the  preventing 
and  withholding  by  the  Lord  of  a  nearer  and  stronger  influx 
into  inferior  things.  That  tliis  is  the  signification  of  these 
words,  is  evident  from  the  explanation  above,  n.  343.  In  a 
,  literal  sense,  it  was  the  four  angels  that  withheld  influx,  but,  iii 
a  spiritual  sense,  it  was  the  Lord.  Not  to  hurt  the  earth,  the 
Bea,  nor  the  trees,  signifies  that  thej^  should  not  operate  by  a 
vehement,  but  by  a  moderate,  influx ;  for  the  Lord,  by  various 
degrees  of  influx  into  the  heavens,  disposes,  regulates, 'tempers, 
and  moderates  all  things  there  and  in  the  hells,  and,  through 
the  heavens  and  the  hells,  all  things  in  the  world. 

347.  Till  'we  have  sealed  the  servants  of  our  Godin  their  fore- 
heads,  signifies  before  they  are  separated  who  are  in  ti-uths  ori- 
ginating in  good  from  the  Lord,  thus  who  are  interiorly  good. 
By  sealing  them  in  their  foreheads,  is  not  meant  to  set  a  seal 
there,  but  to  distinguish  and  separate  those  who  are  in  the  good 
of  love  from  the  Lord ;  for  the  forehead  signifies  the  good  of 
love.  That  they  who  are  in  truths  from  good  from  the  Lord 
are  meant,  follows  from  such  being  understood  by  the  servants 
of  God,  n.  3.  The  reason  why  the  forehead  signifies  the  good 
of  love,  is,  because  the  face  isthe  image  of  man's  afifections,  and 
the  forehead  is  the  highest  part  of  the  fjxce ;  the  brain,  from 
which  is  the  origin  of  all  things  of  man's  life,  being  immediately 
under  the  forehead.  As  the  forehead  signifies  love,  good  love 
in  the  good,  and  evil  love  in  the  evil,  therefore  by  sealing  them 
on  their  foreheads,  is  signified  to  distinguish  and  separate  one 
from  another  according  to  the  love.  Similar  is  the  signification 
of  this  passage  in  Ezekiel :  "  Go  through  the  midst  of  Jeru- 
salem, and  set  a  mark  upon  the  foreheads  of  the  men  that  sigh 
over  the  abominations,"  ix.  4 — 6.  As  the  forehead  signifies 
love,  therefore  concerning  the  plate  of  gold  on  the  mitre  of 
Aaron,  on  which  was  engraven  Holiness  to  Jehovah,  it  is  written, 
That  it  should  be  on  the  region  of  the  faces  of  the  mitre,  that 
it  might  be  over  the/(9;'(?A^a^/ of  Aaron,  and  that  it  should  always 
be  upon  the  forehead  of  Aaron,  that  he  might  be  accepted  of 
Jehovah,  Exod.  xxviii.  36 — 38.  And  moreover  it  Avas  com- 
manded that  these  words,  "  And  thou  shalt  love  Jehovah  thy 
God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,"  were  to  be  upon 
the  hand  and  upon  \h.Q  forehead,  Dent.  vi.  5,  8;  xi.  18.  That 
they  should  have  the  name  of  the  Father  written  on  t\\e.\Y  fore- 
heads, Apoc.  xiv.  1.  And  the  name  of  God  and  of  the  Lamb 
in  t\\Q\v  foreheads,  Apoc.  xxii.  4.  It  may  be  observed,  that  the 
Lord  looks  at  the  angels  in  the  forehead,  whilst  they  look  at  the 
Lord  thi-ough  the  eyes  ;  by  reason  that  the  Lord  views  all  from 
the  good  of  love,  and  desires  that  they,  on  their  part,  should 
view  him  from  the  truths  of  wisdom  :  in  this  manner  conjunc- 
tion is  eiFected.  The  forehead,  in  an  opposite  sense,  signifies 
evil  love  in  these  places :  Who  liave  the  mark  of  the  beast  on 
250 


V.  3,  4.]  THE    APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  34S 

ihQiY  foi^cJieads^  Apoc.  xiii.  16;  xiv.  9;  xx.  4;  and  also  tlie 
name  of  Babylon  upon  her  forehead,  Apoc.  xvii,  5,  Tho/ore- 
head  of  an  adulterous  woman,  Jerem.  iii.  3.  Obdurate  of  fore- 
head, and  hard  of  heart,  Ezek.  iii.  7,  8.  "Thuu  art  obstinate, 
and  i\\y  foreJiead  is  brass,"  Isaiah  xlviii.  4. 

348.  And  I  heard  the  nxuaher  of  them  lohlch  %oere  sealed,  a 
hu7idred  and  forty  and  four  thousand,  signiiies  all  who  acknow* 
ledge  the  Lord  to  be  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  are  in 
truths  of  doctrine  from  the  good  of  love  from  him  through  the 
AVord.  That  these  are  signified  by  a  hundred  and  forty  and 
four  thousand  out  of  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel,  is,  because  the 
twelve  tribes  of  Israel  signify  the  church,  as  composed  of  those 
who  are  in  good  and  trutli  from  the  Lord,  and  acknowledge  him 
as  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth.  By  the  number  one  hundred 
and  forty-four  thousand,  all  these  are  understood;  for  by  this 
number  the  same  is  signilied  as  by  twelve,  since  it  arises  by 
multiplying  twelve  into  twelve,  and  then  by  multiplying  it  by 
one  hundred  and  by  one  thousand  ;  and  any  numl)or  whatever 
multii)lied  into  itself,  and  then  by  ten,  one  hundred,  or  one 
thousand,  lias  the  same  signilication  as  the  original  number; 
therefore  the  number  one  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand 
signiiies  the  same  as  one  hundred  and  forty-four,  and  this  the 
same  as  twelve,  because  twelve  multiplied  by  twelve  make  one 
hundred  and  forty-four  ;  so  likewise  the  twelve  thousand  sealed 
out  of  each  tribe,  being  multiplied  by  twelve,  make  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-four  thousand.  The  number  twelve  signiiies  all, 
and  is  predicated  of  truths  from  good,  because  twelve  is  the  pro- 
duct of  three  and  tour  multiplied  by  each  other,  and  the  num- 
ber three  si^^niiies  every  thing  as  to  truth,  and  the  number 
four  every  thing  as  to  good;  hence  twelve,  in  this  instance, 
signiiies  every  thing  as  to  truth  derived  from  the  good  of  love. 
That  all  numbers  signify  the  adjuncts  of  things  determining 
their  quality  or  quantity,  may  aj^pear  manliest  from  numbers 
in  the  Apocalypse,  which,  were  they  without  some  speciiic  sig- 
nification, would  yield  no  sense  whatever  in  many  })laces.  From 
what  has  been  said  it  nuiy  be  seen,  that  by  one  hundred  and  forty- 
four  thousand  sealed,  and  by  twelve  thousand  out  of  each  tribe, 
is  not  to  be  understood  that  so  many  were  sealed  and  elected 
out  of  the  tribes  of  Israel,  but  all  who  are  in  truths  of  doctrine 
derived  from  the  good  of  love  from  the  Lord.  Tiiis  is  what  is 
signiiied  in  general  by  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel,  and  also  by 
the  Lord's  twelve  a})ostles  ;  but,  in  ])articular,  some  truth  de- 
rived from  good  is  signiiied  by  each  tribe  and  l)y  each  apostle. 
But  the  signification  of  each  particular  tribe  shall  1)0  exj)huned 
presently.  Since  the  twelve  tribes  signify  all  tiutlis  of  doctrine 
derived  from  the  good  of  love  from  the  Lord,  they  also  signify 
all  things  of  the  church  ;  on  which  account  the  twelve  tribes  ol 
Israel  represented  the  church,  as  did  also  the  twelve  apostles. 
251 


348  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Cliap.  vii. 

As  twelve  is  predicated  of  the  truths  and  goods  of  the  churcli, 
therefore  the  New  Jerusalem,  by  which  is  understood  the  Lord's 
New  Church,  is  described  by  the  number  tv/elve  in  every  par- 
ticular, as  tliat  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  city  was  ttoelv6 
thousand  furlongs  /  that  the  wall  thereof  was  one  hundred  and 
forty-four  cubits j  one  hundred  and  forty-four  is  twelve  niulti' 
plied  by  twelve ;  that  there  were  twelve  gates  ;  and  the  gates  were 
oi  twelve  pearls  ;  that  over  the  gates  there  were  twelve  angels  ; 
and  the  names  written  of  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel ;  that  the  wall 
had  twelve  foundations  ;  and  in  them  the  names  of  the  twelve 
apostles  of  the  Lamb ;  and  they  consisted  of  twelve  precious 
sto?ies  /  as  also  tliat  the  tree  of  life  was  there,  bearing  twelve 
fridts  accoi'ding  to  the  twelve  months.  Concerning  all  these 
particulars,  see  chapters  xxi.  and  xxii.  From  such  as  are  here 
treated  of  the  new  heaven  is  formed,  and  the  new  church  is 
forming  by  tlie  Lord  ;  for  they  are  the  same  who  are  mentioned 
in  chapter  xiv.,  wdiere  it  is  written  of  them:  "And  I  looked, 
and,  lo,  a  Lamb  stood  on  the  Mount  Zion,  and  with  him  one 
hundred  and  forty  four  thousand. — And  they  sung,  as  it  were, 
a  new  song  liefore  the  throne,  and  no  man  could  learn  that  song 
but  the  hundred  andfortyfour  thousand^  which  were  redeemed 
from  the  earth, — for  they  are  virgins, — which  follow  the  Lamb 
whithersoever  he  goeth,"  verses  1,  3,  4.  Because  the  twelve 
tribes  signify  the  Lord's  church  as  to  all  its  truths  and  goods, 
therefore  the  number  twelve  became  a  number  of  the  cliurch, 
and  was  used  in  its  holy  ceremonies  and  solemnities.  In  the 
breast-plate  of  judgment,  in  which  were  the  urim  and  thum- 
mim,  and  twelve  precious  stones^  Exod.  xxviii.  21.  Tliat  twelve 
breads  of  faces  were  put  upon  the  table  in  the  tabernacle,  Levit. 
xxiv.  5,  6.  That  Moses  built  an  altar  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Si- 
nai, and  erected  twelve  pillars^  Exod.  xxiv.  4.  That  twelve  men 
were  sent  to  explore  the  land  of  Canaan,  Deut.  i.  23.  That 
twelve  men  brought  twelve  stones  out  of  the  midst  of  Jordan, 
Josh.  iv.  1 — 9,  20.  That  twelve  p>rinces  at  the  dedication  of 
the  altar  brought  twelve  chargers  of  silver,  twelve  bowls  of  silver, 
twelve  censers  of  gold,  twelve  oxen,  twelve  rams,  twelve  lambs ^ 
and  twelve  he-goats,  Numb.  vii.  84,  87.  That  Elijah  took  twelve 
stones,  and  built  an  altar,  1  Kings  xviii.  31.  That  Elijah  found 
Elisha  ploughing  with  twelve  yoke  of  oxen,  and  himself  among 
the  twelve,  and  that  then  he  cast  his  mantle  upon  him,  1  Kings 
xix.  19.  That  Solomon  placed  twelve  oxen  under  the  brazen 
sea,  1  Kings  vii.  25,  44.  That  he  made  a  throne,  and  twelve 
lions  standing  at  the  steps  of  it,  1  Kings  x.  19,  20.  That  on  the 
head  of  the  woman  who  was  clothed  with  the  snn  there  was  a 
crown  of  twelve  stars,  Apoc.  xii.  1.  From  what  has  been  said 
it  may  now  be  evident,  that  by  one  hundred  and  forty-four 
thousand  sealed,  twelve  thousand  out  of  each  tribe,  are  not  un 
derstood  so  many  in  number  of  the  Jews  and  Israelites,  but  aL 
252 


V.  4.]  THE   ArOCAI.Yl'SE   REVEALED.  319 

of  the  new  Christian  heaven,  and  the  New  Church,  who  will 
be  in  truths  of  doctrine  derived  from  the  good  of  love  throngh 
the  Word  from  the  Lord. 

349.  Of  all  the  tribes  of  the  children  of  Israel^  signifies  tiie 
Lord's  heaven  and  church  composed  of  them.  By  a  tribe  is 
signilied  religion  as  to  good  of  life,  and  by  every  tribe  is  sig- 
nified the  clnirch  as  to  every  good  of  love  and  as  to  every  trutli 
from  that  good  in  which  good  of  life  originates ;  for  there  are 
two  things  which  constitute  a  church — good  of  life,  and  truth 
of  doctrine;  the  marriage  of  these  is  the  church.  The  twelve 
tribes  of  Israel  represented,  and  thence  signified  the  church  as 
to  that  marriage,  and  each  tribe  some  universal  truth  of  good 
or  good  of  truth  therein.  But  what  each  tribe  signifies  has  not 
been  revealed  to  an}^  one,  nor  conld  be  revealed,  lest,  \)\  an  ill- 
connected  explanation,  tiie  sanctity  which  lies  concealed  in 
their  several  conjunctions  into  one,  should  be  })rol;uied,  for 
their  signification  is  determined  by  their  conjunction.  They 
have  one  signification  in  the  series  in  which  they  ai"e  named 
according  to  their  nativities,  Gen.  xxix.,  xxx.,  xxxv.  18;  where 
the  series  of  them  is  as  follows  :  Reuben,  Simeon,  Levi,  Judah, 
Dan,  Naphtali,  Gad,  Aser.  Issachar,  Zebuluu,  Jose])h,  Benja- 
min. They  have  another  signification  in  the  series  in  which 
they  are  mentioned  when  they  came  to  Egypt,  which  is  as  fol- 
lows :  Ileuben,  Simeon,  Levi,  Judah,  Issachar,  Zebulun,  Gad, 
Aser,  Joseph,  Benjamin,  Dan,  Naphtali,  Gen.  xlvi.  9 — 2L  An- 
other, in  the  series  in  which  they  are  blessed  by  their  lather 
Israel,  which  is  this  :  Ileuben,  Simeon,  Levi,  Juchih,  Zebulun, 
Issachar,  Dan,  Gad,  Aser,  Naphtali,  Jose})h,  Benjamiu,  Gen. 
xlix.  Another,  in  the  series  in  which  they  are  blessed  l)y  Mo- 
ses, which  is,  Ileuben,  Judah,  Levi,  Benjamin,  Joseph,  Ephraim, 
Manasses,  Zebulun,  Gad,  Dan,  Naphtali,  Aser,  Dent,  xxxiii : 
here  Ephraim  and  Manasses  are  mentioned,  and  not  Simeon  and 
Issachar.  Another,  in  the  series  in  which  they  encamped  and 
journeyed,  which  was  this  :  the  tribe  of  Judah,  Issachar,  and 
Zebulun  tfo  the  east;  the  tribe  of  Keuben,  Simeon,  and  Gad  to 
the  south  ;  the  trib(!  of  Ephraim,  Manasses,  and  Benjamin  to 
the  west;  the  tribe  of  Dan,  Aser,  and  Nai)htan  to  the  north  ; 
and  the  tribe  of  Levi  in  the  middle,  Nund).  ii.  1  to  the  end. 
Another,  in  the  series  in  which  they  are  mentioned  in  other 
places;  as  Gen.  xxxv.  23 — 26;  Numb.  i.  5 — 16;  x.  1  to  the 
end;  xiii.  4 — 15;  xxvi.  5 — 56;  xxxiv.  17 — 28;  Dent,  xxvii. 
12, 13 ;  Josh.  XV. — xix. ;  Ezek.  xlviii.  1  to  the  end.  So,  therefore, 
when  Balaam  saw  Israel  dwelling  accoiding  to  their  tribes,  he 
said,  "How  goodly  are  thy  tents,  O  Jacob,  and  tiiy  tabernacles, 
O  Israel,"  Numb."^xxiv.  1,  2,  3,  5.  In  the  breast-plate  of  judg- 
ment, which  was  the  nrim  and  thummim,  wherein  were  twelve 
precious  stones,  according  to  the  names  of  the  sons  of  Israel 
(Exod.  xxviii.  15 — 29),  the  signification  of  the  tribes  in  their 
253 


350  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.        [Chap,  vil, 

series  was  determined  by  the  interrogation,  to  which  they  re- 
quired an  answer.  But  what  they  signify  in  the  series  in  whicli 
they  are  here  mentioned  in  the  Apocalypse,  this  being  different 
also,  shall  be  explained  presently.  That  tribes  signify  religion, 
and  the  twelve  tribes  the  church  as  to  all  things  relating  to  it, 
is,  because  tribe  and  sceptre,  in  the  Hebrew  language,  are  one 
and  the  same  word,  and  the  sceptre  is  the  kingdom,  and  the 
Lord's  kingdom  is  heaven  and  the  church. 

350.  Of  the  tribe  ofJudah  ivere  sealed  tioelve  thousand,  sig- 
nifies celestial  love,  wliich  is  love  to  the  Lord,  and  this  with  all 
who  will  be  in  the  Lord's  new  heaven  and  new  church.  By 
Judah,  in  a  supreme  sense,  is  signified  the  Lord  as  to  celestial 
love;  in  a  spiritual  sense,  the  Lord's  celestial  kingdom  and  the 
Word  ;  and,  in  a  natural  sense,  the  doctrine  of  the  celestial 
church  from  the  Word.  But  here  by  Judah  is  signified  celes- 
tial love,  which  is  love  to  the  Lord  ;  and  because  it  is  men- 
tioned first  in  the  series,  it  signifies  that  love  with  all  who  will 
be  of  the  Lord's  new  heaven  and  new  church  ;  for  the  tribe 
first  named  is  the  all  in  the  rest,  it  is  as  their  head,  and  as  a 
universal  entering  into  all  things  that  are  consequent,  collect- 
ing, qualifying,  and  affecting  them.  Love  to  the  Lord  is  such 
a  universal  principle.  That  twelve  thousand  signify  all  who 
are  in  that  love,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  348.  It  is  well  known 
that  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel,  after  Solomon's  time,  were  di- 
vided into  two  kingdoms,  the  Jewish  and  Israelitish  ;  the  Jew- 
ish kingdom  represented  the  Lord's  celestial  kingdom  or  priest- 
hood ;  and  the  Israelitish  kingdom,  the  Lord's  spiritual  king- 
dom or  royalty ;  the  latter,  however,  was  destroyed  when  there 
was  nothing  spiritual  left  among  them  ;  but  the  Jewish  king- 
dom was  preserved,  on  account  of  the  Word,  and  because  the 
Lord  was  to  be  born  there.  But  when  they  had  wholly  adul- 
terated the  Word,  and  thus  could  not  know  the  Lord,  then 
their  kingdom  was  also  destroyed.  From  hence  it  may  appear, 
that  by  the  tribe  of  Judah  is  signified  celestial  love,  which  is 
love  to  the  Lord ;  but  by  reason  of  their  character  being  such 
as  to  the  Word,  and  as  to  the  Lord,  therefore  by  the  tribe  ot 
Judah  is  also  signified  the  opposite  love,  which  is  self-love,  pro- 
perly the  love  of  dominion  from  the  love  of  self,  which  love  is 
called  diabolical  love.  That  by  Judah  and  his  tribe  is  signified 
the  celestial  kingdom  and  its  love,  which  is  love  to  the  Lord,  is 
evident  from  these  places :  "  Judah,  thou  art  he  whom  thy 
brethren  shall  praise  : — The  sceptre  shall  not  depart  from  Judah 
— until  Shiloh  come,  and  unto  him  shall  the  gathering  of  the 
people  be ;  binding  his  foal  unto  the  vine,  and  his  ass's  colt 
unto  the  choice  vine;  he  washed  his  garments  in  wine  ;  his  eyes 
shall  be  red  with  wine,  and  his  teeth  white  with  milk,"  Gen. 
xlix.  8 — 12.  "And  my  servant  David  shall  be  their  prince 
for  ever.  Moreover  I  will  make  a  covenant  of  peace  with  them, 
254 


V.  5.J  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  350 

it  shall  be  an  everlasting  covenant  with  them ;  and  I  will  set 
my  saiictuarv  in  the  midst  of"  them  for  evermore,"  Ezek,  xxxvii. 
26,  27.  ''Siiii^  aTid  rejoice,  O  daugliter  of  Zion  ;  and  Jehovah 
shall  inherit  Judah^  his  portion  in  the  holy  land,"  Zech.  ii.  10, 
12.  ''  Ket'})  thy  solemn  feasts,  O  Jtf da /i,  Tpevi'ovm  thy  vows ; 
for  the  wicked  .shall  no  more  pass  thr<Mi<i;h  thee,  he  is  entirely 
cut  otf,"  Nahnm  i.  15.  "The  Lord  sliall  suddenly  come  to 
liis  temple, — then  shall  the  oft'ering  of  Judali  and  Jerusalem  be 
pleasant  unto  Jehovah,  as  in  the  days  of  old,"  Malachi  iii.  1,  4. 
"  Judah  shall  dwell  for  ever,  and  Jerusalem  from  generation  to 
generation,"  Joel  iii.  20.  "  Behold,  the  days  come,  that  I  will 
raise  unto  David  a  righteous  branch  ; — in  his  days  shall  Judah 
be  saved,"  Jerem.  xxiii.  5,  6.  "  Judah  was  his  sanctuary,  and 
Israel  his  dominion,"  Psalm  cxiv,  2.  "  And  I  will  bring  forth 
a  seed  out  of  Jacob,  and  out  o^  Judah  an  inheritor  of  my  moun- 
tains ;  and  mine  elect  shall  iidierit  it,"  Isaiah  Ixv.  9.  "  Be- 
hold, the  days  come,  that  I  will  make  a  new  covenant  with  the 
house  of  Judah  /  but  this  shall  be  the  covenant, — I  will  put  my 
law  in  their  inward  parts,  and  write  it  in  their  hearts,"  Jerem, 
xxxi.  27,  31,  33,  34.  "  In  those  days,  ten  men  shall  take  hold 
of  the  skirt  of  a  man  o^  Judah,  saying,  AV'e  will  go  with  you,  for 
we  have  heard  that  God  is  with  you,"  Zech.  viii.  22,  23.  "  For 
as  the  new  heavens  and  the  new  earth,  which  I  will  make,  shall 
remain  before  me, — so  shall  your  seed  and  your  name  remain: 
and  kings  shall  be  thy  nursing  fathers,  and  their  queens  thy 
nursing  mothers  ;  they  shall  bow  down  to  thee  with  their  face 
toward  the  earth,  and  lick  up  the  dust  of  thy  feet,"  Isaiah  Ixvi. 
20,  22  ;  xlix.  22,  23.  From  these  and  many  other  passages,  too 
numerous  to  be  adduced,  it  is  very  evident,  that  by  Judah  is 
not  meant  Judah,  but  the  church ;  not  to  mention  tiie  Lord's 
entering  into  a  new  and  eternal  covenant  with  that  nation,  and 
making  them  his  inheritance  and  his  sanctuary  for  ever;  and 
the  kings  of  the  Gentiles  and  their  princes  bowing  down  to  them, 
licking  the  dust  of  tlieir  feet,  and  such  like.  That  by  the  tribe 
of  Judah,  regarded  in  itself,  is  meant  the  diabolical  kingdom 
which  has  its  origin  in  the  love  of  dominion  from  self-love, 
may  appear  from  tbese  passages :  "  I  will  hide  my  face  from 
them,  I  will  see  what  their  end  shall  be  ;  for  they  areafroward 
generation,  children  in  whom  there  is  no  faith ;  for  they  are  a 
nation  void  of  counsel ;  for  their  vine  is  of  the  vine  of  Sodom, 
and  of  the  fields  of  Gomorrah;  their  grapes  are  grapes  of  gall, 
their  clusters  are  bitter,  their  wine  is  the  poison  of  dragons  and 
the  cruel  venom  of  asps.  Is  not  this  laid  up  in  store  with  me, 
and  sealed  up  among  m}^  treasures  V  Dent,  xxxii.  20 — 34.  "  Un- 
derstand, therefore,  that  Jehovah  thy  God  giveth  thee  not  tliis 
good  land  for  thy  righteousness,  or  for  the  uprightness  of  thine 
heart :  for  thou  art  a  stitf-necked  people,"  Deut.  ix.  5,  6.  "Ac- 
cording to  the  number  of  thy  cities  are  thy  gods,  0  Judah,  ac 
255 


351  THE   APOCALYPSE   KEVEALED.  [Cliap.   vii. 

cording  to  the  number  of  the  streets  of  Jerusalem  have  je  set 
lip  altars  to  burn  incense  unto  Baal,"  Jereni.  ii.  28  ;  xi.  13. 
"  Ye  are  of  your  father  the  devil,  and  the  lusts  of  your  father 
ye  will  do,"  John  viii.  44.  They  are  said  to  he  full  of  hypocrisy, 
iniquity,  and  uncleanness,  Matt,  xxiii.  27,  28.  An  adulterous 
generatioih.  Matt.  xii.  39  ;  Mark  viii.  38.  And  Jerusalem,  their 
dwelling-jylace,  is  called  Sodom;  Isaiah  iil.  9  ;  Jereni.  xxiii.  14 ; 
Ezek.  xvi.  46,  48;  Apoc.  xi.  8:  besides  other  places,  where 
it  is  said,  that  that  nation  is  utterly  ruined,  and  Jerusalem 
doomed  to  destruction  ;  as  in  Jerem.  v.  1 ;  vi.  6,  7  ;  vii.  17,  18, 
and  following  verses ;  viii,  6 — 8,  and  following  verses  ;  ix.  10, 
11,  13,  and  following  verses;  xiii.  9,  10,  14  ;  xiv,  16  ;  Lament. 
i.  8,  9,  17  ;  Ezek.  iv.  1  to  the  end  ;  xii.  18,  19  ;  xv.  6,  7,  18  ; 
x\4.  1—63  ;  xxiii.  1 — 49. 

351.  Of  the  tribe  of  Heiiben  were  sealed  tioelve  thousand, 
fiigniiies  wisdom  derived  from  celestial  love,  with  those  who  will 
be  in  the  Lord's  new  heaven  and  new  church.  By  lleuben,  in 
a  supreme  sense,  is  signified  omniscience ;  in  a  spiritual  sense, 
wisdom,  intelligence,  and  science,  also  faith;  and,  in  a  natural 
sense,  sight ;  but  here  by  Reuben  is  signified  wisdom,  because 
it  follows  after  Judah,  by  whom  is  signified  celestial  love,  and 
celestial  love  produces  wisdom  ;  for  love  does  not  exist  without 
its  consort,  which  is  science,  intelligence,  and  wisdom.  The 
consort  of  natural  love  is  science,  that  of  spiritual  love  is  intel- 
ligence, and  that  of  celestial  love  is  wisdom.  That  these  things 
are  signified  by  Reuben,  follows  from  his  being  named  from 
sight,  and  spiritual-natural  sight  is  science,  spiritual  sight  is 
intelligence,  and  celestial  sight  is  wisdom.  Reuben  was  also 
the  first-born  of  Jacob,  and  therefore  was  called  by  Israel  his 
"  might,  the  beginning  of  my  strength,  the  excellency  of  dig- 
nity, and  the  excellency  of  power,"  Gen.  xlix.  3 ;  such  indeed 
is  wisdom  derived  from  celestial  love.  And  as  Reuben  from  his 
primogeniture  represented,  and  thence  signified,  the  wisdom  of 
the  men  of  the  church,  he  therefore  exhorted  his  brethren  not 
to  kill  Joseph,  and  was  grieved  when  Joseph  was  not  found  in 
the  pit,  Gen.  xxxvii.  21,  22.  And  on  this  account  his  tribe 
encamped  on  the  sotith,  and  was  called  the  Camj)  of  Reuhen, 
Numb.  ii.  10 — '16  ;  the  south  also  signifies  wisdom  derived 
from  love :  therefore  they  who  are  in  that  wisdom  dwell  to  the 
south  in  heaven,  as  may  be  seen  in  the  Avoi'k  on  Heaven  and 
Hell,  n.  148 — 150.  This  wisdom  is  signified  by  Reuben  in  the 
prophecy  of  Deborah  and  Barak  by  these  words,  "  For  the  divi- 
sions of  lieuhen  were  great  thoughts  of  heart.  Why  abodest  thou 
among  the  shecpfolds  to  hear  the  bleatings  of  the  flocks  ?  For 
the  divisions  of  Reuhen  there  were  great  searchings  of  heart," 
Judges  V.  15,  16  ;  the  divisions  of  Reuben  are  knowledges  of 
every  kind,  M-hich  have  relation  to  wisdom.  As  all  the  tribes 
have  an  opposite  signification  also,  the  tribe  of  Reuben,  in  this 
256 


V.  5,  6.J  THE  APOCALYI'SE  REVEALED.  352,  353 

sense,  signifies  wisdom  separated  from  love,  and  thence  also 
faith  separated  from  cliarity ;  wherefore  he  was  cursed  by  his 
father  Israel,  Gen.  xlix.  3,  4  ;  and  deprived  of  his  birthright, 
1  Chron,  V.  1,  see  above,  n.  17;  and  an  iiilieritance  was  given 
liim  on  the  other  side  Jordan,  and  luH  in  the  hind  of  Canaan ; 
and  instead  of  Reuben  and  Simeon,  tlie  sons  of  Joseph,  Ej)iiraim 
and  Manasseh,  were  acknowledged.  Gen.  xlviii.  5 ;  neverthe- 
less he  retained  the  representation  and  thence  the  signification 
of  wisdom. 

352.  Of  the  tribe  of  Gad  were  sealed  twelve  thousand,  sig- 
nifies uses  of  life,  which  are  of  wisdom  derived  from  that  love, 
also  with  those  who  will  be  in  the  Lord's  new  heaven  and  new 
church.  By  Gad,  in  a  supreme  sense,  is  signified  omnipotence  ; 
in  a  spiritual  sense,  good  of  life,  which  also  is  use;  and,  in  a 
natural  sense,  work ;  in  this  instance  uses  of  life,  because  it  fol- 
lows after  Reuben  and  Judah,  and  celestial  love  by  wisdom  pro- 
duces uses.  There  are  three  things  which  cohere  and  cannot 
be  separated — love,  wisdom,  and  use  of  life  ;  if  one  is  separated, 
the  othc-r  two  fall  to  the  ground,  as  may  be  seen  in  The  Angelio 
Wisdom  conceniing  the  Jjlmne  Love  and  the  Divine  Wisd</m,, 
n.  241,  297,  316.  That  by  Gad  is  signified  uses  of  life,  which 
is  also  called  fruit,  may  appear  from  his  name  as  denoting  a 
troop  or  a  heap.  Gen.  xxx.  11  ;  as  also  from  his  father  Israel's 
blessing.  Gen.  xlix.  19;  and  from  the  blessing  given  him  by 
Moses,  Deut.  xxxiii.  20,  21  ;  and  likewise  from  his  inheritance, 
Numb,  xxxii.  1  to  the  end  ;  xxxiv.  14;  Deut.  iii.  16,  17;  xxxiii. 
20,  21.  Also  from  the  signification  of  Gad  in  an  opposite  sense, 
Isaiah  Ixv.  11  ;  Jerem.  xlix.  1 — 3.  It  must  be  observed,  that 
all  the  tribes  of  Israel  are  here  divided  into  four  classes,  as  in 
the  urim  and  thummim,  and  in  their  encampments,  and  that 
each  class  contains  three  tribes,  by  reason  that  three  cohere  as 
one,  as  love,  wisdom,  and  use,  and  as  charity,  faith,  and  work ; 
for,  as  was  said,  if  one  is  wanting,  the  other  two  are  not  any 
thing. 

353.  Of  the  tribe  of  Aser  were  sealed  twelve  thousand,  sig- 
nifies mutual  love,  which  is  the  love  of  performing  good  uses 
to  the  community  or  society,  with  those  who  will  be  of  the 
Lord's  new  heaven  and  new  church.  By  Aser,  in  a  supremo 
sense,  is  signified  eternity ;  in  a  spiritual  sense,  eternal  beati- 
tude ;  and,  in  a  natural  sense,  the  aft'ection  of  good  and  truth  ; 
but  here  by  Ase^-  is  signified  the  love  of  perf  inning  uses,  which 
exists  with  those  who  are  in  the  Lord's  celestial  kingdom,  and 
is  there  called  mutual  love  ;  this  love  desends  proximately  from 
love  to  the  Lord,  because  the  love  of  the  Lord  is  to  perform 
uses  to  the  conminnity,  and  to  each  society  in  the  community, 
and  he  performs  these  by  means  of  men  who  are  principled  in 
love  to  him.  That  Aser  has  the  above  signification,  may  in 
some  measure  be  seen  from  his  father  Israel's  blessing  :  "  Out 

257        .  K 


354,  355  THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.  [Chap.  vii. 

of  Aser ;  his  bread  shall  be  fat,  and  he  shall  yield  royal  dain- 
ties," Gen.  xlix.  30 ;  and  from  his  blessing  by  Moses  :  "  Let 
Aser  be  blessed  with  children,  let  him  be  acceptable  to  his 
brethren,  and  as  thy  days  so  shall  thy  strength  be,"'  Dent,  xxxli. 
24,  25.  Moreover  the  name  denotes  beatitude,  and  they  who 
are  in  the  love  of  performing  nses  to  the  community  and  to 
society,  enjoy  beatitude  above  all  others  in  heaven. 

354.  Of  the  tribe  of  Neplitalhn  were  sealed  twelve  thousand^ 
signiiies  a  perception  of  use,  and  what  use  is,  with  those  who 
will  be  in  the  Lord's  new  heaven  and  new  church.  By  Nephta- 
lini,  in  a  supreme  sense,  is  signified  the  proper  power  of  the 
Lord's  Divine  Humanity  ;  in  a  spiritual  sense,  temptation  and 
victory ;  and,  in  a  natural  sense,  resistance  on  the  part  of  the 
natural  man  ;  for  the  name  denotes  wrestlings.  But  Xephtalim 
here  signifies  a  perception  of  use,  and  what  use  is,  because  it 
folloMs  in  the  series  after  Aser,  by  whom  is  signified  the  love 
of  uses  ;  and  also  because  they  who  have  conquered  in  tempta- 
tion, have  an  interior  perception  of  uses;  for  by  temptations 
the  interiors  of  the  mind  are  opened.  The  perception  which 
they  have  is  described  in  Jeremiah  xxxi.  33,  34 ;  they  feel  in 
themselves  what  is  good,  and  see  in  themselves  what  is  true. 
That  the  tribe  of  Kephtalim  signifies  angels  and  men  as  to 
that  perception,  may  be  confirmed  from  the  Word  :  JSfephtaliin 
"  is  in  the  high  places  of  the  field,"  Judges  v.  18  ;  high  places 
of  the  field  are  the  interiors  of  the  church  as  to  perception. 
Nephtalhn  "  is  satisfied  with  favour,  and  full  witli  the  blessing 
of  Jehovah;  possess  thou  the  west  and  the  south,"  Dent,  xxxiii, 
23  ;  to  possess  the  west,  is  to  possess  the  good  that  is  subser- 
vient to  love,  and  to  possess  the  south,  is  to  possess  the  light  of 
wisdom,  which  constitutes  that  perception.  "  Nepldalim  is  a 
liind  let  loose,  he  givetli  goodly  words,"  Gen.  xlix.  21 ;  describ- 
ing the  state  after  temptation  as  to  the  spontaneous  eloquence 
which  results  from  perception.  It  is  also  recorded  of  one  of 
the  tribe  of  NephtaUm,  that  he  was  filled  with  wisdom,  intelli- 
gence and  knowledge,  and  executed  all  Solomon's  work  about 
the  temple  in  brass,  1  Kings  vii.  14.  The  historical  parts  ot 
the  Word,  as  to  names  and  tribes,  are  equally  as  significative  as 
the  prophetical. 

355.  Of  the  tribe  of  Ifanasses  were  sealed  twelve  thousand^ 
signifies  the  will  of  serving  and  of  action,  with  those  also  who 
will  be  of  the  Lord's  new  heaven  and  new  church.  There  are 
three  things  which  follow  in  order,  love  to  the  Lord,  wisdom, 
and  use,  as  was  said  above,  n.  352 ;  so  also  here,  mutual  love, 
understanding  or  perception,  and  will  or  action  ;  these  likewise 
make  one,  so  that  if  one  of  them  is  wanting,  the  other  two  are 
not  any  thing;  the  will  or  willingness  to  serve  with  the  action, 
is  the  eftect,  thus  the  ultimate,"in  which  the  two  former  are 
and  co-exist.     The  reason  why  Manasses  has  this  signification, 

258  '  e  » 


V.  6,  7. J  THK    APOCALVrSK    K?:VEALKD.  350 

is,  because  Joseph,  wlio  was  the  father  of  Manasses  and 
Ephraiin,  signifies  tlie  spiritnal  principle  of  the  church  ;  and 
the  spiritual  principle  of  the  church  is  tlie  good  of  the  will,  and 
at  the  same  time  the  truth  of  the  understanding;  lience  it  is 
that  Maiuisses  signiiies  the  voluntary  principle  of  the  church, 
and  Ephraim  its  intellectual  principle.  Manasses  signifies  the 
volnntary  principle  of  the  church,  because  Ephraim  signifies  its 
intellectual  principle,  as  appears  manifestly  in  Hosea,  M'here 
Ephraim  is  so  frequently  mentioned;  and  as  Manasses  signifies 
the  voluntary  i)rinciple  of  the  church,  he  also  signifies  action, 
for  the  will  is  the  endeavour  in  all  action,  and  where  there  is 
endeavour,  there  is  action,  when  it  is  possible.  Mention  is 
jnade  of  Manasses  in  several  places,  as  when  he  was  born,  Gen. 
xli.  50 — 52  ;  when  he  was  accepted  of  Jacob  as  if  instead  of 
Simeon,  Gen.  xlviii.  3 — 5;  and  blessed  by  him,  Gen.  xlviii. 
15,  16  ;  and  by  Moses,  Deut.  xxxiii.  17  ;  and  moreover  in 
Isaiah  ix.  18 — 20;  Psalm  Ix.  9;  Psalm  Ixxx.  2;  Psalm  cviii. 
9  ;  from  which  it  may  in  some  measure  be  seen,  that  by  Ma- 
nasses is  signified  the  voluntary  principle  of  the  church. 

356.  0/  the  tribe  of  Simeon  were  sealed  twelve  thousand, 
signifies  spiritual  love,  which  is  love  towards  the  neighbour,  or 
charity  with  those  who  will  be  of  the  Lord's  new  heaven  and 
new  church.  By  Simeon,  in  a  supreme  sense,  is  signified  pro- 
vidence ;  in  a  spiritual  sense,  love  towards  the  neighbour  or 
charity  ;  and,  in  a  natural  sense,  obedience  and  hearing.  In 
the  two  foregoing  series  they  are  treated  of  who  are  in  the 
Lord's  celestial  kingdom ;  but  in  this  series  they  are  treated  of 
Avlio  are  in  the  Lord's  spiritual  kingdom  ;  the  love  of  the  latter 
is  called  spiritual  love,  which  is  love  towards  the  neighbour,  and 
charity.  The  reason  why  Simeon  and  his  tribe  represented  this 
love,  and  therefore  signify  it  in  the  Word,  is,  because  he  was 
born  after  Reuben,  and  immediately  before  Levi,  and  by  these 
three,  lleuben,  Simeon,  and  Levi,  in  their  order,  is  signified 
truth  in  the  understanding,  or  faith  ;  truth  in  the  will,  or  cha- 
rity ;  and  truth  in  act,  or  good  works ;  in  like  manner  as  by 
Peter,  James,  and  John.  "  That  Simeon  and  his  tribe  might 
therefore  represent  truth  in  the  will,  which  is  both  charity  and 
obedience,  he  was  named  from  hearing,  and  to  hear  signifies 
both  to  understand  truth  and  to  will  or  obey  it ;— to  understand 
It  when  it  is  said  to  hear  any  one,  and  to  will  and  obey  it,  Ave 
6ay  to  hearken  to  any  one,  or  to  listen.  Here  it  may  l3e  expe- 
dient to  say  something  concerning  love  towards  our  neighbour, 
or  charity:  love  towards  our  neighbour,  is  the  love  of  obeying 
the  Lord's  commandments,  which  are  chiefly  those  contained  in 
the  second  table  of  the  decalogue,  as,  thou  shalt  not  kill ;  thou 
shalt  not  commit  adultery  ;  thou  shalt  not  steal ;  thou  shalt  not 
bear  false  witness  ;  thou  shalt  not  covet  the  things  which  are 
thy  neighbour's.  The  man  who  will  not  do  such  things  because 
259 


357,  358  THE    APOCALYPSE    KEVEALET).  [Chap.  vH. 

they  are  sins,  loves  his  neighbour ;  for  he  does  not  love  the 
neighbour  who  hates  him,  and  from  hatred  desires  to  kill  him; 
he  does  not  love  the  neighbour  wlio  desires  to  commit  adultery 
with  his  wife  ;  nor  does  he  love  the  neighbour  who  desires  to 
steal  and  make  depredations  on  his  goods,  and  so  on.  This, 
also,  Paul  teaches  in  the  following  words  :  "  For  he  that  loveth 
another^  hath  fulfilled  the. law.  For  this,  Tliou  shalt  not  com- 
mit adultery.  Thou  shalt  not  kill.  Thou  shalt  not  steal.  Thou 
shalt  not  bear  false  witness.  Thou  shalt  not  covet,  and  if  there 
be  any  other  commandment,  it  is  briefly  comprehended  in  this 
saying,  namely,  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself:  there- 
fore charity  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law,"  Rom.  xiii.  8 — 10. 

357.  Of  the  tribe  of  Levi  were  sealed  twelve  thousand,  signi- 
fies the  affection  of  truth  derived  from  good,  from  whence 
comes  intelligence  with  those  who  will  be  of  the  Lord's  new 
heaven  and  new  church.  By  Levi,  in  a  supreme  sense,  is  sig- 
nified love  and  mercy  ;  in  a  spiritual  sense,  charity  in  act,  which 
is  good  of  life ;  and,  in  a  natural  sense,  cojisociation  and  con- 
junction ;  for  the  name  denotes  to  adhere,  by  which,  in  the 
Word,  is  signified  conjunction  through  love.  But  by  Levi  is 
liere  signified  the  love  or  affection  of  truth,  and  thence  intelli- 
gence, because  it  follows  after  Simeon,  and  in  this  series  forms 
the  intermediate.  Since  Levi  represented  these  things,  there- 
fore this  tribe  was  appointed  to  the  priesthood.  Numb.  iii.  1,  to 
the  end  ;  Deut.  xxi.  5  ;  and  in  other  places.  That  the  tribe  of 
Levi  signifies  the  love  of  truth,  which  is  the  essential  love  from 
which  the  church  is  a  church,  and  thence  intelligence,  nuiy  ap- 
pear from  these  places  :  The  sons  of  Levi  are  chosen  by  Jehovah 
to  minister  unto  him,  and  to  bless  in  his  name,  Deut.  xxi.  5  ; 
to  bless  in  the  name  of  Jehovah  is  to  teach  ;  which  they  alone 
can  do,  who  are  in  the  affection  of  truth,  and  thence  in  intelli- 
gence. "  For  they  have  observed  thy  Word,  and  kept  thy 
covenant ; — they  shall  teach  Jacob  thy  judgments,  and  Israel 
thy  law,"  Deut.  xxxiii.  8 — 12.  "  The  Lord  shall  suddenly  come 
to  his  temple,  and  he  shall  sit  as  a  refiner  and  purifier  of  silver, 
and  he  shall  purify  the  sons  of  Levi,  and  purge  them  as  gold 
and  silver,"  Malachi  iii.  1 — 4;  to  purify  tlie  sons  of  Levi,  is  to 
purify  those  who  are  in  the  affection  of  truth.  As  that  affec- 
tion flourishes  from  intelligence,  therefore  the  staff  of  Levi,  upon 
which  was  written  the  name  of  Aaron,  blossomed  and  yielded 
almonds.  Numb.  xvii.  6 — 8. 

358.  Of  the  tribe  of  Lssachar  were  sealed  tivelve  thousand, 
signifies  good  of  life  with  those  who  will  be  of  the  Lord's  new 
heaven  and  new  church.  By  lssachar  is  signified,  in  a  supreme 
sense,  the  divine  good  of  truth,  and  the  truth  of  good ;  in  a 
spiritual  sense,  celestial  conjugial  love,  which  is  the  love  of 

fjood  and  truth ;   and,  in  a  natural  sense,  remuneration ;  but 
lere  the  good  of  life,  because  in   this  class  it  is  the  third  ir 
260 


r.  7,  8.]  THE    APOCAJLYPSE   KKVEALEU.  359,  360 

order,  and  the  third  in  any  class  signifies  the  ultimate,  whicli 
is  produced  from  the  two  former,  as  the  eiiect  from  its  cause ; 
and  the  effect  of  sjuritual  love,  which  is  love  towards  the  neigh- 
bour, and  is  signitied  l)y  Simeon,  through  the  affection  of  truth, 
which  is  signitied  by  Levi,  produces  good  of  life,  which  is  Issa- 
char  :  he  was  also  named  from  hire.,  Gen.  xxx.  17, 18,  thus  from 
remuneration,  and  good  of  life  has  remuneration  in  itself. 
Something  of  this  sort  is  also  signitied  by  Issachar  in  his  bless- 
ing by  Moses  :  "  Rejoice  Zebulon  in  thy  going  out,  and  Issachar 
in  thy  tents.  They  shall  call  the  people  unto  the  mountain  ; 
there  shall  they  offer  sacrifices  of  righteousness  :  for  they  shall 
suck  of  the  abundance  of  the  sea,  and  of  treasures  hid  in  the 
sand,"  Dent,  xxxiii.  18,  19.  But  by  Issachar,  in  his  blessing 
by  his  father  Israel,  Gen.  xlix.  14,  15,  is  signified  meritorious 
good  of  life,  as  may  be  seen  in  The  Arcana  CcBlestia,  n.  6388. 

359.  Of  the  tribe  of  Zabulon  were  sealed  twelve  thousand, 
gi<;;nifies  the  conjugial  love  of  good  and  truth  also  with  those 
wlio  will  be  of  the  Lord's  new  heaven  and  new  church.  By 
Zabulon,  in  a  supreme  sense,  is  signified  the  union  of  the  essen- 
tial divinity  and  the  Divine  Humanity  in  the  Lord  ;  in  a  spir- 
itual sense,  the  marriage  of  good  and  truth  with  those  who  arc 
in  heaven  and  in  the  church  ;  and,  in  a  natural  sense,  conjugial 
love  itself;  therefore  here,  by  Zabulon  is  signified  the  conjugia. 
love  of  good  and  truth  ;  he  was  also  named  from  cohabitation 
Gen,  xxx.  19,  22  ;  and  coliabitation  is  predicated  of  married 
pairs  whose  minds  are  joined  into  one,  for  such  conjunction  is 
spiritual  coliabitation.  The  conjugial  love  of  good  and  truth, 
which  is  here  signified  by  Zabulon,  is  the  conjugial  love  of  the 
Lord  and  his  church  ;  the  Lord  is  the  good  of  love  itself,  and 
gives  to  the  church  to  be  truth  from  that  good  ;  and  cohabita- 
tion is  effected,  when  the  man  of  the  church  receives  good  from 
the  Lord  in  truths;  in  this  case  the  marriage  of  good  and  truth 
takes  place  with  man,  which  constitutes  the  church  itself,  and 
he  becomes  a  heaven ;  hence  it  is  that  the  kingdom  of  God,  that 
is,  heaven  and  the  church,  is  so  often  compared  in  the  Word  to 
a  marriage. 

360.  Of  the  tribe  of  Joseph  were  sealed  twelve  thousand, 
signifies  the  doctrine  of  good  and  truth  with  those  who  will  be 
of  the  Lord's  new  heaven  and  new  church.  By  Joseph  is  sig- 
nified the  Lord  as  to  the  divine  spiritual  priciple:  in  a  spiritual 
sense,  the  sjuritual  kingdom ;  and,  in  a  natural  sense,  fructifi- 
cation and  multiplication  ;  but  by  Joseph  is  here  signified  the 
doctrine  of  good  and  truth,  which  is  with  those  who  are  in  the 
Lord's  sjjiritual  kingdom.  Joseph  has  this  signification,  because 
he  is  named  after  the  tribe  of  Zabulon,  and  before  the  tribe  of 
Benjamin,  thus  in  the  middle  ;  and  the  tribe  which  is  first 
named  in  a  series  or  class,  signifies  sonie  love  which  is  of  the 
will ;  and  the  tribe  which  is  named  after  it  signifies  something 

261 


361  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.        [Chap.  Vli. 

of  wisdom  which  relates  to  the  understanding;  and  the  tribe 
which  is  named  last  signifies  some  use  or  effect  derived  from 
them.  Thus  each  series  is  full  or  complete.  As  Joseph  signi- 
fied the  Lord's  spiritual  kingdom,  therefore  he  was  made  gov- 
ernor in  Egypt,  Gen.  xli.  38 — 44 ;  Psalm  cv.  17 — 23  ;  where 
each  particular  signifies  such  things  as  relate  to  the  Lord's  spir- 
itual kingdom.  The  spiritual  kingdom  is  the  Lord's  royalty ; 
and  the  celestial  kingdom  is  his  priesthood.  Joseph,  :'n  the 
presemt  instance,  signifies  the  doctrine  of  good  and  truth,  be- 
cause he  is  here  in  the  place  of  Ephraim  ;  and  by  Ephraim  is 
signified  the  intellectual  principle  of  the  church  ;  see  The  Doc- 
trine of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Sacred  Scripture^ 
n.  79  ;  and  the  intellectual  principle  of  the  church  is  in  every 
respect  derived  from  the  doctrine  of  good  and  trutli  from  the 
Word.  The  reason  why  Joseph  is  here  in  the  place  of  Ephraim, 
is,  because  Manasseh,  who  was  Joseph's  other  son,  and  signi- 
fied the  voluntary  principle  of  the  church,  was  before  reckoned 
among  the  tribes,  n,  355.  The  intellectual  principle  of  the 
church  being  derived  from  the  doctrine  of  good  and  truth, 
therefore  that  intellectual  principle,  and  also  that  doctrine,  are 
signified  by  Joseph  in  the  following  passages  :  "  Joseph  is  a 
fruitful  bough,  even  a  fruitful  bough  by  a  well ;  but  his  bow 
abode  in  strength  ;  he  shall  be  blessed  with  the  blessings  of 
heaven  above,  and  with  the  blessings  of  the  deep  that  lietb 
under,"  Gen.  xlix.  22,  26  :  a  well  signifies  the  Word,  and  a 
bow  doctrine,  n,  299.  "  And  of  Joseph  he  said.  Be  his  land 
blessed  of  Jehovah,  for  the  precious  things  of  heaven,  for  the 
dew,  and  for  the  deep  that  coucheth  beneath  ;  and  for  the  pre- 
cious things  brought  forth  by  the  sun,  and  for  the  precious 
things  put  fortli  by  the  moon,  and  for  the  precious  things  of 
the  earth  and  fulness  thereof,"  Deut.  xxxiii.  13 — 17  ;  by  those 
precious  things  are  signified  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth, 
from  which  doctrine  is  derived.  Who  "  drink  wine  in  bowls, 
but  are  not  grieved  for  the  afiliction  of  Joseph^'*  Amos  vi.  5,  6. 
"  And  I  w^ill  strengthen  the  house  of  Judah,  and  I  will  save  the 
house  of  Joseph^  and  they  of  Ephraim  shall  be  like  a  mighty 
man,  and  their  heart  shall  rejoice  as  through  wine,"  Zech.  x. 
6,  7 ;  here  also  Joseph  signifies  doctrine,  and  wine,  the  truth  of 
it  from  good,  n.  316, 

361.  Of  the  ti'ihe  of  Benjamin  were  sealed  twelve  thousand^ 
signifies  the  life  of  truth  derived  from  good  according  to  doc- 
trine, with  those  who  will  be  in  the  Lord's  new  heaven  and  new 
church.  AVhen  by  Zabulon  is  signified  the  conjugial  love  of 
good  and  truth  ;  and  by  Joseph,  the  doctrine  of  good  and  truth  ; 
then  by  Benjamin,  because  he  is  third  in  the  series,  is  signified 
the  life  of  truth  derived  from  good.  Benjamin  has  this  signi 
fication,  because  he  was  born  last,  and  was  called  by  his  father 
Jacob,  the  so7i  of  his  right  hand,  Gen.  xxxv.  18  ;  and  by  a  soc 
262 


V.  8,  9.J  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  362,  303 

of  the  rii^lit  liand  is  signified  truth  derived  from  good  ;  there- 
fore also  his  tribe  dwelt  round  about  Jerusalem,  wliere  the  tribe 
of  Judah  was,  and  the  city  of  Jerusalem  signified  the  church  as 
to  doctrine,  and  its  circuit,  such  things  as  are  derived  from  doc- 
trine; see  Joshua  xviii.  11 — 28;  Jerem.  xvii,  26;  xxxii.  8,  44; 
xxxiii.  13;  and  other  places. 

362.  In  the  enumeration  of  the  tribes  of  Israel  neither  Dan 
nor  E[)hraim  is  named;  the  reason  is,  because  Dan  was  the 
last  of  the  tribes,  and  his  tribe  dwelt  in  the  most  remote  part  of 
the  land  of  Canaan,  and  thus  could  not  signify  any  thing  in  the 
Lord's  new  heaven  and  new  church,  where  there  will  only  be 
such  as  are  celestial  and  spiritual ;  wherefore  Manasseh  is  put 
in  the  place  of  Dan,  whilst  Joseph  is  put  in  the  place  of 
Ephraim  ;  see  above,  n.  360. 

363.  After  this  I  heheld^  and^  lo,  a  great  inult'dude^  lohieh 
no  man  could  number,  signifies  all  the  rest  who  are  not  among 
the  above-recited,  and  yet  are  in  the  Lord's  new  heaven  and 
new  church,  being  those  who  compose  the  ultimate  heiiven  and 
the  external  church,  whose  quality  no  one  knows  but  the  Lord 
alone.  That  by  a  great  multitude  are  signified  those  who  are 
not  enumerated  above,  and  yet  are  in  the  Lord's  heaven  and 
church,  is  ])lain  from  verses  9,  10, 13 — 17,  where  it  is  said,  tha 
they  ''stood  before  the  throne  and  before  the  Lamb,  clothed  in 
white  robes,  and  palms  in  their  hands;  and  that  they  serve  him 
in  his  temple;  and  he  that  sitteth  on  the  throne  shall  dwell 
among  them  ;"  besides  many  other  things.  By  numbering,  in 
a  sjiiritual  sense,  is  signified  to  know  the  nature  and  quality  of 
any  thing;  that  such  is  the  signification  of  numbering,  will  bo 
seen  in  the  next  paragraph.  But  who  they  are  in  particular, 
who  are  meant  by  those  that  are  called  a  great  multitiule,  can- 
not be  known  without  first  revealing  an  arcanum;  the  arcanum 
's  this:  the  universal  heaven,  togetlier  with  the  church  on  the 
earths,  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  is  as  one  man;  and  because  it 
is  as  one  man,  there  are  some  who  constitute  the  head,  and 
thus  the  face  with  all  its  organs  of  the  senses ;  and  there  are 
some  who  constitute  the  body  with  all  its  members :  those  who 
are  enumerated  above  constitute  the  face  with  all  its  organs  of 
the  senses;  but  these  now  mentioned,  are  they  who  constitute 
the  body  with  all  its  members.  That  this  is  the  case  has  been 
revealed  to  me;  as  also,  that  they  who  constitute  the  first  chisa 
of  the  tribes,  verse  5,  are  those  who  correspond  to  the  forehead 
down  to  the  eyes ;  that  they  who  are  of  the  second  class,  vei*so 
6,  are  those  who  correspond  to  the  eyes,  together  with  the  nos- 
trils ;  the  third  class,  verse  7,  those  who  correspond  to  the  eai-a 
and  cheeks;  and  the  fourth  class,  verse  8,  those  who  corre- 
spond to  the  mouth  and  tongue.  The  Lord's  church  is  also  in- 
ternal and  external;  they  wiio  are  meant  by  the  twelve  tribes 
of  Israel  are  such  as  constitute  the  Lord's  internal  church,  but 

263 


364,  365  TlfE    APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Cluip.  vii. 

they  wlio  are  now  mentioned  are  such  as  constitute  the  external 
church,  and  cohere  as  one  with  the  above  recited,  as  iixferior 
tilings  with  superior,  thus  as  the  body  does  with  the  head ; 
therefore  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel  signify  the  superior  heavens 
and  also  the  internal  church,  but  these  signify  the  inferior  hea- 
vens and  the  external  church.  That  these  are  also  called  a 
great  multitude,  see  below,  n.  803,  and  n.  811. 

364.  To  number,  in  a  spiritual  sense,  signifies  to  know  the 
qualit}  of  a  thing,  because  number,  in  the  Word,  does  not 
signify  number,  but  its  quality,  n.  10;  in  this  passage  therefore, 
by  "  a  great  multitude  which  no  man  could  number,"  in  a 
natural  sense,  is  meant  what  the  words  imjjort,  that  there  was  a 
great  multitude ;  but,  in  a  spiritual  sense,  is  meant  that  none 
but  the  Lord  alone  knows  their  quality :  for  the  Lord's  heaven 
consists  of  innumerable  societies,  and  these  societies  are  distin- 
guished according  to  the  varieties  of  affections  in  general ;  in 
like  manner  all  in  each  society,  are  distinguished  in  particular. 
The  Lord  alone  knows  the  quality  of  the  affection  of  each  indi- 
vidual, and  disposes  all  in  order  according  thereto.  By  num- 
bering, the  angels  understand,  to  know  this  quality.  The  same 
is  meant,  in  the  Word,  in  these  passages :  When  Belshazzar 
was  drinking  wine  out  of  the  vessels  of  the  temple  of  Jerusa 
lem,  there  was  written  upon  the  wall,  "  Thou  art  numbered^ 
thou  art  nwnbered,^''  Dan.  v.  2,  5,  25.  "  I  shall  go  to  the 
gates  of  the  grave,  I  am  nuinbered^''  Isaiah  xxxviii.  10.  "A 
tumultuous  noise  of  the  kingdoms,  Jehovah  of  hosts  numhereth 
tlie  host  of  battle,"  Isaiah  xiii.  4.  "  Behold,  who  hath  created 
these  things,  that  bringeth  out  their  host  by  number  V  Isaiah 
xl.  26.  Jehovah  who  mimhereth  the  host  of  the  stars.  Psalm 
cxlvii.  4.  "The  flocks  shall  pass  again  under  the  hands  of  hira 
that  mimhereth  them,"  Jerem.  xxxiii.  13.  "  My  steps  are  nxiTn- 
hered^''  Job  xiv.  16.  The  houses  and  towers  of  Zion  and  of 
Jerusalem  are  numbered,  Isaiah  xxii.  9,  10 ;  xxxiii.  18,  19 ; 
Psalm  xlviii.  12 — 14;  to  number  is  the  same  as  to  know  their 
({uality.  From  the  signification  of  numbers  and  of  numbering, 
it  may  appear,  why  a  punishment  was  denounced  against  David 
lor  numbering  the  people  or  tribes  of  Israel,  and  why  he  said 
to  the  prophet  Gad,  "  I  have  sinned  greatly  in  that  I  have 
done,"  2  Sam.  xxiv.  1,  to  the  end.  And  why,  when  the  people 
were  numbered  by  Moses  as  to  all  their  tribes,  it  was  com- 
manded, that  every  one  should  give  an  expiation  of  his  soul  to 
Jehovah  in  numbering,  that  there  be  no  plague  among  them  in 
numbering  them,  Exod.  xxx.  12;  the  reason  was,  because  to 
number  signified  to  know  their  quality  as  to  their  spiritual  state, 
thus  as  to  the  state  of  the  church  understood  by  the  twelve 
tribes  of  Israel,  which  the  Lord  alone  knows. 

365.  Of  all  nations^  and  tribes,  and  people,  and  tongues,  sig- 
nifies all  in  the  Christian  M'orld,  who  are  in  religion  from  good, 
264 


V.  9.]  THE  Al'OCALYPSE  REVEALED.  366,  ^67 

and  ill  truths  from  doctrine.  By  all  nations  and  tribes,  are 
meant  those  who  are  in  relii^ion  from  ^ood,  who  are  of  the  ulti- 
mate or  lowest  heaven,  n.  363  ;  hy  nations,  those  who  are  in 
good,  n.  920,  921 ;  and  by  tribe,  rehVion,  n.  3-i9 ;  by  people 
and  tont^ues  are  meant  those  who  are  in  trutlis  from  doctrine 
b}^  people,  those  who  are  in  trutlis,  n.  483;  and  by  tongue,  doc 
trine,  n.  282.  By  "  out  of  all  nations,  tribes,  people,  and 
tongues,"  taken  together  in  a  spiritual  sense,  are  therefore  sig- 
nified all  who  are  in  religion  fi'om  good,  and  in  truths  from 
doctrine. 

366.  Stood  hefore  the  throne^  and  hefore  the  Lamh^  signifies 
hearing  the  Lord,  and  doing  his  precepts.  By  standing  before 
God,  is  signified  to  hear  and  do  what  he  commands,  as  they  do 
who  stand  before  a  king.  The  same  is  signified  by  standing 
before  God,  in  other  parts  of  the  Word  ;  thus  :  The  angel  said 
to  Zacharias,  "I  am  Gabriel,  that  stand  in  the  presence  of  God," 
Luke  i.  19.  "There  shall  not  want  a  man  to  stand  before  me 
tor  ever,"  Jerem.  xxxv.  19.  "These  are  the  two  anointed  ones 
that  stand  before  tiie  Lord  of  the  whole  earth,"  Zech.  iv,  14. 
lie  hath  "separated  the  tribe  of  Levi  to  stand  before  Jehovah," 
Dent.  X.  8;  and  in  other  places. 

367.  Clothed  with  white  7'ohes,  and  palms  in  thei?'  hands^  sig- 
nifies communication  and  conjunction  with  the  superior  hea- 
vens, and  confession  from  divine  truths.  That  to  be  clothed  with 
white  robes,  signifies  to  have  communication  and  conjunction 
with  the  heavens,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  328.  The  reason  why 
to  hold  palms  in  their  hands  signifies  confession  from  divine 
truths,  is,  because  jjalms  signify  divine  truths;  for  every  tree 
signifies  somewhat  of  the  church,  and  palms  signify  divine  truth 
in  ultimates,  which  is  the  divine  truth  of  the  literal  sense  of  the 
Word ;  for  this  reason  on  all  the  walls  of  the  temple  of  Jeru- 
salem, within  and  without,  and  also  upon  the  doors,  were  carved 
cherubs  and  palm  ti'ees,  1  Kings  vi.  29,  32.  The  same  in  the 
new  temple,  mentioned  in  Ezekiel  xli.  18 — 20.  By  cherubs  is 
hignified  the  Word,  n.  239,  and  by  })alni  trees,  divine  truths 
therein.  That  by  })alm  trees  are  signified  the  divine  truths  of 
the  Word,  and  by  palms  in  their  hands  confessions  from  them, 
may  appear  from  its  being  commanded  at  the  feast  of  taberna- 
cles that  they  should  "take  boughs  of  goodly  trees  and  branches 
oi' palm  trees,  and  should  rejoice  before  Jehovah,"  Levit.  xxiii. 
39,  40,  That  when  Jesus  went  to  Jerusalem  to  the  feast,  "they 
took  branches  of  palm  trees,^^  and  went  to  meet  him,  crying, 
'*  Blessed  is  he  that  conieth  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,"  John 
\ii.  12,  13  ;  by  which  was  signified  confession  from  divine  truths 
concerning  the  Lord.  A  palm  tree  signifies  divine  truth  also  in 
David  :  "The  righteous  shall  flourish  like  the  pahn  tree — those 
that  be  planted  in  the  house  of  Jehovah  shall  flourish  in  the 
courts  of  our  God,"  Psalm  xcii.  12.  13 ;  in  like  manner  in  other 

265 


3G8-— 370  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Cllfip.  vii. 

places.  Because  Jericho  was  a  city  near  Jordan,  and  by  tlie 
river  Jordan  was  signified  that  which  is  first  in  the  church,  and 
this  is  divine  truth,  such  as  it  is  in  the  literal  sense  of  the  Word, 
therefore  it  was  called  the  City  of  Palm  Trees,  Deut.  xxxiv. 
3 ;  Judges  i.  16 ;  iii.  13 ;  for  Jordan  was  the  first  boundary  or 
entrance  into  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  by  the  land  of  Canaan  is 
signified  the  church. 

368.  And  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  Salvation  to  our 
God  that  siiteth  upon  the  throne,  andimto  the  Lamb,  signifies  an 
acknowledgment  from  the  heart  that  the  Lord  is  their  Saviour. 
To  cry  with  a  loud  voice,  signifies  acknowledgment  from  the 
heart ;  "  Salvation  to  our  God  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and 
unto  the  Lamb,"  signifies  that  the  Lord  is  salvation  itself,  and 
that  the  salvation  of  all  is  from  him,  thus  that  he  is  the  Saviour. 
By  him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne  and  the  Lamb,  is  meant 
the  Lord  alone;  by  him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  his  divin- 
ity from  which  he  came  forth  ;  and  by  the  Lamb,  his  Divine 
Humanity  ;  as  may  also  be  seen  above,  n.  273 ;  they  are  both 
named,  because  from  his  divinity,  from  whence  he  came  forth 
by  his  Divine  Humanity,  he  was  the  Saviour;  that  they  are  one, 
is  evident  from  the  passages  where  the  Lamb  is  mentioned  as 
being  in  the  midst  of  the  throne,  chap.  v.  6 ;  vii.  17.  The  Lord 
in  many  parts  of  the  Word  is  called  Salvation,  by  which  is 
understood  that  he  is  the  Saviour ;  as,  "  My  salvation  shall  not 
tarry,  and  I  will  place  salvation  in  Zion,"  Isaiah  xlvi.  13. 
"Say  ye  to  the  daughter  of  Zion,  Behold,  thy  salvation  cometh," 
Isaiah  Ixii.  11.  "I  will  also  give  thee  for  a  light  to  the  Gen- 
tiles, that  thou  mayest  be  my  salvatioti  unto  the  end  of  the 
earth,"  Isaiah  xlix.  6.  "  This  is  Jehovah,  we  have  waited  for 
him,  we  will  be  glad  and  rejoice  in  his  salvation,^''  Isaiah  xxv, 
9.  Salvation,  in  the  Hebrew  language,  is  called  Joschia,  which 
is  Jesus, 

369.  And  all  the  angels  stood  round  about  the  throne,  and 
about  the  elders  and  the  four  animals,  signifies  all  in  the  uni- 
versal heaven  hearing  and  doing  wJiat  the  Lord  commands. 
By  the  animals  and  elders  are  meant  the  angels  of  the  superior 
heavens,  as  above,  and  also  below,  n.  808 ;  but  by  angels  are 
here  meant  the  angels  of  the  inferior  heavens,  and  thus  all  in 
the  universal  heaven.  To  stand,  signifies  to  hear  and  do  what 
he  commands,  n.  366. 

370.  And  fell  before  the  throne  on  their  faces,  and  vjorshipped 
God,  signifies  the  humiliation  of  their  heart,  and,  from  humili- 
ation, adoration  of  the  Lord.  That  to  fall  upon  their  faces  and 
worship,  denotes  humiliation  of  heart  and  thence  adoration,  is 
evident.  Humiliation  before  the  Lord  and  adoration  of  him,  is 
signified  by  falling  before  the  throne  and  worshipping  God,  be- 
cause by  God  is  understood  his  divinity,  which  is  the  divinity 
whence  he  came  forth,  and  at  the  same  time,  his  Divine  Human 

266 


V,  10 — 12  J  THE   APOCAI  FPSE   REVEALED.  371  —  374 

ity,  n.  286  ;  for  both  together  are  one  God,  because  they  are 
one  person. 

371.  Saying,  Amen,  signifies  divine  trutli  and  confirmation 
tlierefroni ;  as  may  be  seen  above,  n.  23,  28,  61. 

372  £lef<sing,  and  (jlory,  and  tvisdom,  and  thanksgiving^ 
signifies  the  divine  •sj)iritual  things  of"  the  Lord.  All  acknow- 
ledgment and  confession  of  the  Lord  comprehends,  in  general, 
these  two  points  :  that  he  is  divine  love  itself  and  divine  wisdom 
itself,  and  consequently  that  love,  and  every  thing  of  tlie  nature 
of  love,  Avith  those  who  are  in  heaven  and  in  the  church,  is  from 
him  :  in  like  manner  wisdom,  and  all  that  pertains  thereto. 
Whatsoever  proceeds  from  tlie  Lord's  divine  love,  is  called 
divine  celestial,  and  what  from  his  divine  wisdom,  is  called 
divine  s])iritual.  The  divine  spiritual  principle  of  the  Lord  is 
understood  by  glory,  wisdom,  and  thanksgiving;  and  his  divine 
celestial  principle,  by  honour,  power,  and  might,  which  follow. 
The  blessing  which  goes  before,  signifies  both,  as  may  be  seen 
above,  n.  289.  That  glory  is  predicated  of  divine  truth,  thus 
of  the  divine  spiritual  priiu;iple,  see  n.  2-19.  That  wisdom  has 
relation  to  the  same,  is  evident.  That  thanksgiving  has  also  a 
like  reference,  is,  because  it  is  performed  from  divine  truth  ; 
for  man  gives  thanks  therefrom  and  thereby. 

373.  And  honour,  and poioer,  and  niigJit,  signifies  the  divine 
celestial  things  of  the  Lord.  In  the  preceding  article  it  is  said 
that  these  three,  honour,  power,  and  might,  intheAVord,  when 
ap})lied  to  the  Lord,  are  predicated  of  the  divine  celestial  prin- 
ciple, or  of  the  divine  love,  or  of  his  divine  good.  That  honour 
is  so  predicated,  nuiy  be  seen,  n.  21:9 ;  and  might,  n.  22  ;  and 
that  power  is  so  likewise,  may  be  rendered  evident  by  a  refer- 
ence to  the  passages  in  the  Word  where  it  is  mentioned.  It  i:9 
to  be  observed,  that  in  all  the  particulars  of  the  Word  there  is 
a  marriage  of  good  and  truth,  and  that  there  are  expressions 
which  have  relation  to  good,  and  expressions  which  have  rela- 
tion to  truth  ;  but  these  expressions  can  only  be  distinguished 
by  those  who  study  the  spiritual  sense.  From  that  sense  it  ap- 
pears what  expressions  have  relation  to  good  or  love,  and  what 
to  truth  or  wisdom  ;  and  from  many  passages  it  has  been  given 
to  know,  that  honour,  power,  and  might,  occur  when  the  sub- 
ject treated  of  is  concerning  divine  good.  That  this  is  very 
evident  with  respect  to  power,  may  be  seen  in  Matt.  xiii.  54  ; 
xxiv.  30;  Mark  xiii.  25,  26;  Luke  i.  17,  35;  ix.  1;  xxi.  27; 
and  elsewhere.  That  in  all  the  particulars  of  the  Word  there 
is  a  nuirriage  of  the  Lord  and  the  church,  and  thence  a  mar- 
riage of  g0(jd  and  truth,  may  be  seen  in  The  Doctrine  of  the 
New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Sacred  Scriptut'e,  n.  80 — 90. 

374:.  Be  unto  our  God  for  ever  ayid  ever,  signifies  these 
things  in  the  Lord  and  from  the  Lord  to  eternity  ;  as  is  evideu 
267 


875 — 378  THE   APOCALYPSE   KEVEALED.  [Chap.   vil. 

from  what  was  said  above :  and  also  that  for  ever  and  ever, 
means  to  eternity. 

375.  Air.en,  signifies  the  consent  of  aU.  In  this  verse  amen 
is  said  at  the.  beginning,  and  again  at  the  end  ;  when  it  is  said 
at  the  beginning  it  signifies  trutli,  and  thence  confirmation,  n. 
371 ;  but  when  at  the  end,  it  signifies  the  confirmation  and 
consent  of  all  that  it  is  the  truth. 

376.  And  one  of  the  elders  a)iswe?'ed,  saying  unto  me,  Who 
are  these  that  are  arrayed  in  white  robes  f  and  whence  came 
they  ?  And  I  said  unto  him,  Sir,  thou  hnowest,  signifies  the 
desire  of  knowing,  and  the  will  of  interrogating,  and  the  answer 
and  information.  The  reason  why  John  was  questioned  con- 
cerning these  things,  is,  because  it  is  common  in  all  divine  wor- 
ship, that  man  should  first  will,  desire,  and  pray,  and  that  the 
Lord  should  then  answer,  inform,  and  do ;  otherwise  man  does 
not  receive  any  thing  divine.  Now  as  John  saw  those  who  were 
arrayed  in  white  robes,  and  was  desirous  to  know  and  to  ask 
who  they  were,  and  as  this  was  perceived  in  heaven,  therefore 
he  was  first  questioned  and  then  informed.  The  same  occurred 
to  the  prophet  Zechariah,  when  he  saw  several  things  repre- 
sented to  him,  as  may  appear  from  chap  i.  9 ;  ii.  2,  4;  iv.  2,  5, 
11, 12;  V.  2,  6,  10;  vi.  4.  Besides,  we  frequently  read  in  the 
Word,  that  the  Lord  answers  such  as  call  and  cry  unto  him ; 
as  in  Psalm  iv.  2  ;  Psalm  xvii.  6 ;  Psalm  xxx.  8,  9 ;  Psalm 
xxxiv.  6  ;  Psalm  xci.  15  ;  Psalm  cxx.  1 :  also,  that  he  gives  on 
being  asked,  Matt.  vii.  7,  8;  xxi.  22  ;  John  iv.  13,  14;  xv.  7; 
xvi.  23,  27.  But  yet  the  Lord  gives  tliem  to  ask,  and  what  to 
ask  ;  therefore  the  Lord  knows  it  beforehand  ;  but  still  the  Lord 
wills  that  man  should  ask  first,  to  the  end  that  he  may  do  it  as 
from  himself,  and  thus  that  it  should  be  appropriated  to  him ; 
otherwise,  if  the  petition  itself  were  not  from  the  Lord,  it  would 
not  be  said  in  those  places,  that  they  should  receive  whatsoever 
they  asked. 

377.  And  he  said  unto  me.  These  are  they  that  come  out  of 
great  tribulation,  signifies  that  they  are  those  who  have  been  in 
temptations,  and  have  fought  against  evils  and  falses.  That 
tribulation  is  infestation  from  evils  and  falses,  and  spiritual 
combat  against  them,  which  is  temptation,  see  n.  33,  95, 100, 101. 

378.  And  have  washed  their  robes,  signifies,  and  who  have 
cleansed  their  religious  principles  from  the  evils  of  falsity.  By 
washing,  in  the  Word,  is  signified  to  cleanse  from  evils  and 
falses ;  and  by  robes  are  signified  common  or  general  truths, 
n.  328.  General  truths  are  the  knowledges  of  goodness  and 
truth  derived  from  the  literal  sense  of  the  Word,  and  accord- 
ing to  which  men  have  lived,  and  thence  constitute  religious 
principles ;  and  as  every  thing  of  a  religious  nature  relates  to 
good  and  truth,  therefore  robes  are  twice  mentioned,  thus,  have 

268 


V.  12—  14.]        THE  APOCALYPSK  RF.VKALKD.  '378 

washed  their  robes  and  whitened  tlieir  robes.  Robes,  or  reli- 
gious principles,  are  cleansed  only  with  those  who  light  against 
evils,  and  so  reject  falses ;  thus  by  temptations,  which  are  sig- 
nified by  great  affliction,  n.  377.  That  to  be  washed  signifies  to 
be  cleansed  from  evils  and  I'alses,  and  so  to  be  reformed  and  re- 
generated, may  be  seen  evidently  from  the  following  passages: 
"  AVhen  the  Lord  shall  have  icashcd  away  the  tilth  of  tiie 
daughters  of  Zion,  and  shall  have  jpurged  away  the  blood  of 
Jerusalem  by  the  spirit  of  judgment,  and  by  the  spirit  of  burn- 
ing," Isaiah  iv,  4.  "  Wash  you,  make  you  clean,  put  away  the 
evil  of  your  doings  from  before  mine  eyes ;  cease  to  do  evil," 
Isaiah  i.  10.  "•  O  Jerusalem,  wash  thine  heart  from  wickedness, 
that  thou  mayest  be  saved,"  Jerem.  iv.  14.  "  Wash  me  thor- 
oughly from  mine  iniquity, — and  I  shall  be  whiter  than  snow," 
Psalm  li.  2,  7.  "  For  though  thou  wash  thee  with  nitre,  and  take 
thee  much  soap,  yet  thine  iniquity  is  marked  before  me,"  Jerem. 
ii.  22.  "  If  I  wash  myself  with  snow-water,  and  make  my  hands 
never  so  clean,  yet  shalt  thou  plunge  me  in  the  ditch,  and  mine 
own  clothes  shall  abhor  me,"  Job  ix.  30,  31.  "  He  washed\\\'^ 
garments  in  wine,  and  his  clothes  in  the  blood  of  grapes,"  Gen. 
xlix.  11.  This  is  said  of  the  celestial  church,  to  which  they 
belong  who  are  in  love  to  the  Lord  ;  and,  in  a  supreme  sense, 
it  refers  to  the  Lord :  wine,  and  the  blood  of  grapes,  is  divine 
truth  spiritual  and  celestial.  I  washed  thee  with  waters,  and 
washed  away  the  blood  from  off  thee,  Ezek.  xvi.  9 ;  speaJving 
of  Jerusalem :  waters  are  truths,  and  bloods  are  the  adultera- 
tions of  truth.  From  these  considerations,  it  may  appear  what 
was  represented,  and  thence  signified,  by  washings  in  the  Israel- 
itish  church  ;  as  that  Aaron  should  loash  himself  before  he  put 
on  the  garments  of  his  ministry,  Levit.  xvi.  4,  24.  And  before 
he  went  to  the  altar  to  niinister,  Exod.  xxx.  18 — 21 ;  xl.  30,  31. 
In  like  manner,  the  Levites,  Numb.  viii.  6,  7.  In  like  manner, 
others,  who  were  made  unclean  by  sins  ;  yea,  that  they  washed 
vessels,  Levit.  xi.  32;  xiv.  8,  9;  xv.  5—12;  xvii.  15,  16;  Matt, 
xxix.  26,  27.  That  they  were  sanctified  by  loashings,  Exod. 
xxix.  4  ;  xl,  12  ;  Levit.  viii.  6.  That  Naaman  from  SyY\a.washed 
himself  in  Jordan,  2  Kings  v.  10,  14.  Therefore,  that  they 
might  wash  themselves,  the  brazen  sea  and  many  vessels  for 
washing  were  placed  near  the  temple,  1  Kings  vii.  23 — 39. 
And  that  the  Lord  washed  the  disciples'  feet,  John  xiii.  10. 
And  commanded  the  blind  man  to  'wash  himself  in  the  pool  of 
Siloam,  John  ix.  6,  7,  11,  15.  From  which  it  may  appear,  that 
washing,  among  the  children  of  Israel,  represented  spiritual 
washing,  which  is  purification  from  evils  and  falses,  and  con- 
sequent reformation  and  regeneration.  And  from  what  has 
been  said,  it  is  also  evident  what  was  signified  by  John's  bap- 
tizing in  Jordan,  Matt.  iii. ;  Mark  i.  4 — 13  ;  and  by  these  words 
of  John  concerning  the  Lord,  That  he  would  hajptize  with  tho 
269 


379  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Cliap.  vii. 

IIolj  Spirit  and  with  fire,  Luke  iii.  16;  John  i.  33;  and  of 
liimself,  That  he  baptized  with  water,  John  i.  26:  the  meaning 
of  which  is,  that  the  Lord  washes  or  purities  man  by  the  divine 
truth  and  the  divine  good,  and  that  John  represented  this  by 
Ids  baptism :  for  the  Holy  Spirit  is  divine  truth,  fire  is  divine 
good,  and  water  is  the  representative  of  both  ;  for  water  signi- 
fies the  truth  of  the  Word,  M'hich  becomes  good  by  a  life  accord- 
ing to  it,  n.  50. 

379.  And  tnade  them  white  in  the  Hood  of  the  Lamh,  signi- 
fies, and  have  purified  them  from  the  ialses  of  evil  by  truths, 
and  thus  are  reformed  by  the  Lord.  There  are  evils  of  the 
false,  and  falses  of  evil ;  evils  of  the  false  with  those  who  from 
religion  believe  that  evils  do  not  condemn,  provided  they  con- 
fess with  their  lips  that  they  are  sinners ;  and  falses  of  evil 
with  those  who  confirm  evils  in  themselves.  By  robes  are  hero 
bignified,  as  above,  n.  378,  general  truths  from  the  Word,  which 
constitute  their  religious  princij)les.  It  is  said,  they  made  white 
their  robes  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  because  white  is  predi- 
cated of  truths,  n.  167^  231,  232  ;  thus,  that  they  purified  then> 
selves  from  falses  by  truths  :  it  also  signifies  that  they  wera 
]-eformed  by  the  Lord ;  because  all  who  have  fought  against 
evils  in  the  world,  and  have  believed  in  the  Lord,  after  their 
departure  out  of  the  world,  are  taught  by  the  Lord,  and  are  with- 
drawn from  the  falsities  of  their  religion  by  truths,  and  thus  are 
reformed :  the  reason  is,  because  they  who  shun  evils  as  sins, 
are  in  the  good  of  life ;  and  good  of  life  desires  truths,  and 
acknowledges  and  accepts  them  ;  but  evil  of  life  never.  By  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb  here,  and  in  other  parts  of  the  Word,  it  is 
believed  that  the  Lord's  passion  of  the  cross  is  signified  ;  but  the 
passion  of  the  cross  was  the  last  temptation,  by  which  the  Lord 
fully  overcame  the  hells,  and  fully  glorified  his  Humanity,  by 
which  two  processes  he  saved  man ;  see  The  Doctrine  of  ths 
New  Jerusalein  concerning  the  Lord,  n.  22 — 21,  and  n.  25 — 27; 
also  above,  n.  67.  And  because  the  Lord  thus  fully  glorified 
his  Humanity,  that  is,  made  it  divine,  therefore  nothing  else  can 
be  meant  by  his  flesh  and  blood  but  the  divinity  in  him  and 
from  him  ;  by  flesh,  the  divine  good  of  the  divine  love ;  and 
by  blood,  divine  truth  from  that  good.  Blood  is  mentioned  in 
many  parts  of  the  Word,  and  everywhere  signifies,  in  a  spiritual 
sense,  the  divine  truth  of  the  Lord,  which  also  is  the  divine 
truth  of  the  Word ;  and,  in  an  opposite  sense,  the  divine  truth 
of  the  Word  falsified  or  profimed,  as  may  appear  from  the  fol- 
lowing passages.  First ;  that  blood  signifies  the  divine  truth 
of  the  Lord,  or  of  the  Word,  is  manifest  from  these  considera- 
tions :  that  blood  was  called  the  blood  of  the  covenant,  and 
covenant  is  conjunction,  and  this  is  efiected  from  the  Lord  by 
liis  divine  truth;  as  in  Zechariah:  "By  the  hlood  of  i\\j  cove- 
nant I  have  sent  forth  thy  prisoners  out  of  the  pit,"  ix.  11  ;  and 
270 


y.   14. J  THE  ArOCALTPSK  REVKALED.  370 

in  Moses :  Moses,  jifter  tliat  lie  had  road  the  Look  of  tlic  law  in 
the  ears  of  tlie  ])eoph^,  sprinkled  half  of  the  blood  npon  the  peo- 
ple, "  and  said,  Behold  tlieblood  oj^  the  covenant,  which  Jehovah 
hath  made  with  you  concerning  all  these  Words,"  Exod,  xxiv. 
3 — 'S.  "  And  Jesus  took  the  cup,  and  gave  it  to  them,  saying, 
Drink  ye  all  of  it ;  for  this  is  my  blood  of  the  neio  covenant^'' 
Matt.  xxvi.  27,  28;  Mark  xiv.  24;  Luke  xxii.  20.  By  the 
hlood  of  the  new  covenant  or  testament,  nothing  else  is  sig- 
nitied  but  the  AVord,  which  is  called  a  Covenant  and  Testa- 
ment, Old  and  New,  thus  the  divine  truth  therein.  As  this  is 
signified  by  blood,  therefore  the  Lord  gave  them  the  wine, 
saying,  This  is  my  blood ;  and  wine  signifies  divine  truth,  n. 
310:  it  is  also  on  this  account  called  the  blood  of  grapes.  Gen. 
xlix.  11 ;  Dent,  xxxii.  14.  This  is  again  evident  from  these 
words  of  tlie  Lord :  "  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  except  ye 
eat  the  flesh  of  the  Son  of  Man,  and  drink  his  blood,  ye  have 
no  life  in  you.  For  my  flesh  is  meat  indeed,  and  my  blood  is 
drink  indeed.  He  that  eateth  my  flesli  and  drinketh  my  blood, 
dwelleth  in  me,  and  I  in  him,"  John  vi.  50 — 58.  That  by  blood 
is  here  meant  divine  truth,  appears  manifestly,  because  it  is 
said  that  he  who  drinks,  has  life,  and  dwells  in  the  Lord,  and 
the  Lord  in  him.  That  divine  truth  and  a  life  conformable  to 
it  efl'ects  this,  and  that  the  holy  supper  confirms  it,  might  be 
known  in  the  church.  Since  Wood  signifies  the  divine  truth  of 
the  Lord,  which  is  also  the  divine  truth  of  the  Word,  and  this 
is  the  Old  and  New  Covenant  or  Testament  itself,  therefore 
blood  was  the  most  holy  representative  in  the  Israelitish  church, 
in  which  all  and  singular  things  were  correspondences  of  spirit- 
ual things;  as.  That  they  should  take  the  paschal  blood,  "and 
strike  \ton  the  two  side-i)osts  and  the  upper  door-post  of  the 
houses,"  that  tlie  ])lague  might  not  come  upon  them,  Exod.  xii. 
7,  13,  22.  Tiiat  the  blood  of  the  b a rnt-oJferi?ig should  be  sprin- 
kled npon  the  altar,  on  the  foundations  of  the  altar,  upon  Aaron, 
his  sons,  and  their  garments,  Exod.  xxix.  12,  15,  20,  21 ;  Levit. 
i.  5,  11,  15;  iii.  2,  8,  13;  iv.  25,  30,  34;  v.  9  ;  viii.  15,  24  ; 
xvii.  6;  Numb,  xviii.  17;  Dent.  xii.  27:  as  also  on  the  vail 
which  was  over  the  ark,  on  the  mercy  seat,  and  on  the  horns 
of  the  altar  of  incense,  Levit.  iv.  6,  7,  17,  18 ;  xvi.  12—15. 
The  same  is  signified  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  in  the  follow- 
ing passage  in  the  Apocalypse :  "  And  there  was  war  in  hea- 
ven ;  Michael  and  his  angels  fought  against  the  dragon,  and 
overcame  him  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  by  the  word  of 
their  testimony,"  xii.  7,  11 :  for  it  cannot  be  supposed  that 
Michael  and  h'is  angels  overcame  the  dragon  by  any  thing  else 
but  the  diviiu;  truth  of  the  Lord  in  the  Word  ;  for,  in  heaven, 
the  angels  cannot  think  at  all  of  blood  ;  nor  do  they  think  of 
the  Lord's  passion,  but  of  the  divine  truth  and  of  his  resur- 
rection :  wherefore,  when  man  thinks  of  the  Lord's  blood,  the 
271 


379  THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.        [Cliap.  A'il. 

angels  perceive  his  divine  truth ;  and  when  he  thinks  of  the 
Lord's  passion,  they  perceive  his  glorification,  and  then  his 
resurrection  only.  It  has  been  granted  me  to  know  that  this 
is  the  fact,  by  much  experience.  That  blood  signifies  divine 
truth  is  also  evident  from  these  words  in  David :  God  "  shall 
save  the  souls  of  the  needy,  and  precious  shall  their  hlood  be 
,n  his  sight.  And  he  shall  live,  and  to  him  shall  be  given  of 
the  gold  of  Sheba,"  Psalm  Ixxii.  13 — 16.  Blood  precious  in  the 
sight  of  God  denotes  divine  trutli  with  them  ;  gold  of  Sheba  is 
wisdom  derived  from  it.  In  Ezekiel :  "  Gather  yourselves  on 
every  side  to  my  sacrifice  upon  the  mountains  of  Israel,  that  ye  . 
may  eat  flesh  and  drink  hlood  /  ye  shall  drink  the  Mood  of  the 
princes  of  the  earth,  and  ye  shall  drink  hlood  till  ye  he  drimJcsn, 
of  my  sacrifice  which  I  have  sacrificed  to  you.  And  I  will  set 
my  glory  among  the  heathen,"  xxxix.  17 — 21.  By  blood  here 
cannot  be  meant  blood,  because  it  is  said  that  they  shall  drink 
the  blood  of  the  princes  of  the  earth,  and  that  they  shall  drink 
blood  till  they  be  drunken ;  but  the  true  sense  of  the  AVord 
results,  when  by  blood  is  nnderstood  divine  truth.  The  Lord's 
church  also  is  there  treated  of,  which  he  was  about  to  establish 
among  the  Gentiles.  Secondly,  that  blood  signifies  divine 
truth,  may  be  clearly  seen  from  its  opposite  sense,  in  which  it 
signifies  the  divine  truth  of  the  Word  falsified  or  profaned,  as  is 
evident  from  the  following  passages  :  Who  "  stoppeth  his  ears 
from  hearing  hlood^  and  shutteth  his  eyes  from  seeing  evil," 
Isaiah  xxxiii.  15.  "Thou  shalt  destroy  them  that  speak  leas- 
ing, Jehovah  will  abhor  the  hloody  and  deceitful  man,"  Psalm 
V.  6,  Every  one  that  is  written  among  the  living  in  Jernsalem, 
when  the  Lord  shall  have  washed  away  the  filtli  of  the  daugh- 
ters of  Zion,  and  shall  have  purged  the  hlood  of  Jerusalem  from 
the  midst  thereof,  by  the  spirit  of  judgment,  and  by  the  spirit 
of  burning,  Isaiah  iv.  3,  4.  "  In  the  day  thou  wast  born, — 1 
saw  thee  polluted  in  thine  own  hlood  j  I  said  nnto  thee,  In 
thine  own  hloody  live;  I  washed  thee,  and  washed  away  the 
load  from  off  thee,"  Ezek.  xvi.  5,  6,  9,  22,  36,  38.  "  They  have 
wandered  as  blind  men  in  the  streets,  they  have  polluted  them- 
«elves  with  hloody  so  that  men  conld  not  touch  their  garments," 
Lament,  iv.  13,  14.  "And  garments  rolled  in  hlood^''  Isaiah 
ix.  5.  "  Also  in  thy  skirts  is  found  tlie  hlood  of  the  souls  of  the 
poor  innocents,"  Jerem.  ii.  33,  34.  "  Your  hands  are  full  of 
hlood.  Wash  you,  make  you  clean  ;  put  away  the  evil  of  your 
doings,"  Isaiah  i.  15,  16.  "For  your  hands  are  defiled  with 
Hood,  and  your  fingers  with  iniquity  ;  your  lips  have  spoken 
lies, — they  make  haste  to  shed  innocent  hlood^''  Isaiah  lix.  3. 
"  For  Jehovah  cometh  out  of  his  place  to  visit  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  earth  for  their  iniquity ;  the  earth  also  shall  dis- 
close her  hlood^''  Isaiah  xxvi.  20.  "  But  as  many  as  received 
him,  to  them  gave  he  power  to  become  the  sons  of  God ; — which 
272 


V.  14,  15.]  THE    APOCALYPSE   REVEA1.ED.  380 

•were  born  not  of  hlood,''^  John  i.  12,  13.  In  Babylon  "  was 
found  tlie  hlood  of  the  prophets  and  saints,"  Apoc.  xviii,  24. 
"•  Tlie  sea  became  as  the  hlood  of  a  dead  man, — and  the  foun- 
tains of  water  became  hlood^''  Apoc.  xvi.  3,  4  ;  Isaiah  xv.  6,  9 ; 
Psahn  cv.  23,  28,  29.  The  same  is  signified  by  the  rivers,  col- 
lections, and  lakes  of  water  in  Egypt  being  turned  into  hlood,, 
Exod.  vii.  15,  25.  The  moon  shall  be  turned  into  hlood  before 
tlie  coming  of  the  great  day  of  Jehov^ah,  Joel  ii.  3.  "The 
moon  became  as  hlood,'''*  Apoc.  vi.  12.  In  these  places,  and 
many  others,  blond  signifies  the  truth  of  the  Word  falsified,  and 
also  profaned ;  which  yet  may  be  seen  more  manifestly  still 
by  reading  those  passages  in  the  AVord  in  their  series.  Since 
therefore  by  blood,  in  an  opposite  sense,  is  signified  the  truth 
of  the  "Word  falsified  or  profaned,  it  is  evident  that  by  blood, 
in  a  genuine  sense,  is  signified  the  truth  of  tlie  Word  not  falsi  - 
fied. 

380.  Therefore  are  they  hefore  the  throne  of  God,  and  serve 
him  day  and  night  in  his  temjple  :  and  lie  that  sitteth  on 
the  throne  shall  dwell  among  them,  signifies  that  they  are  in 
the  presence  of  the  Lord,  and  constantly  and  faithfully  live 
according  to  the  truths  which  they  receive  from  him  in  his 
church,  and  that  the  Lord  constantly  gives  good  in  their  truths. 
Therefore  are  they  before  the  throne  of  God,  signifies  that  they 
are  in  the  Lord's  presence  ;  and  serve  him  day  and  night,  sig- 
nifies that  they  constantly  and  faithfully  live  according  to  the 
truths,  that  is,  the  precepts,  which  they  receive  from  him;  by 
serving  the  Lord  nothing  else  is  signified;  in  his  temple  signi- 
fies in  the  church,  n.  191  ;  lie  that  sitteth  on  the  throne  shall 
dwell  among  them,  signifies  that  the  Lord  constantly  introduces 
good  with  the  truths  which  they  receive  from  him  ;  that  this  is 
signified  by  dwelling  among  them,  is,  because,  in  the  Word,  to 
dwell,  is  predicated  of  good,  and  to  serve,  of  truth.  This  arca- 
nnm  may  now  be  made  knoM'n,  viz.,  that  the  marriage  of  the 
Lord  with  the  church  consists  in  this,  that  the  Lord  flows  into 
Hngels  and  men  with  the  good  of  love,  and  that  angels  and  men 
receive  him,  or  the  good  of  his  love,  in  truths;  that  hereby  a 
marriage  of  good  and  truth  is  efl:ected,  which  marriage  con- 
stitutes the  church  itself,  and  makes  heaven  with  them.  Such 
being  the  nature  of  the  Lord's  influx  and  reception  of  him, 
therefore  the  Lord  looks  at  angels  and  men  in  the  forehead,  and 
they  look  at  the  Lord  through  the  eyes  ;  for  the  forehead  corre- 
sponds to  the  good  of  love,  and  the  eyes  correspond  to  truths 
from  that  good,  which  thus  by  conjunction  become  truths  of 
good.  But  the  Lord's  influx  with  truths  into  angels  and  men, 
IS  not  as  the  influx  of  good  into  them,  for  it  is  mediate,  flowing 
from  good,  as  light  does  from  fire,  being  received  by  them  iii 
the  understanding,  and  only  so  far  in  the  will  as  they  do  truths. 
This  then  constitutes  the  marriage  of  love  and  wisdom,  or  of 
273  8 


381 383         THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.        [Cliap.  vli. 

good  and  truth  from  tlie  Lord,  with  those  who  receive  them  in 
the  heavens  and  in  the  earths.  This  arcamiim  was  disclosed  for 
the  sake  of  making  it  known  how  it  is  to  he  understood,  that 
the  Lord  constantly  gives  good  in  their  truths. 

381.  They  shall  hunger  no  more,  neither  thirst  any  more, 
signifies  that  hereafter  there  shall  be  no  deficiency  of  goods  and 
truths  with  them.  By  not  hungering  is  signified  to  have  no 
lack  of  good,  and  by  not  thirsting  is  signified  to  have  no  lack  of 
truth ;  for  to  hunger  is  predicated  of  bread  and  meat,  and  to 
thirst,  of  wine  and  water ;  and  by  bread  and  meat  is  signified 
good,  and  by  wine  and  water  is  signified  truth :  see  above, 
n.  323. 

382.  Neither  shall  the  sun  light  on  them,  nor  any  heat,  sig- 
nifies that  hereafter  they  shall  have  no  lust  to  evil,  nor  to  the 
false  of  evil.  The  sun  shall  not  light  upon  them,  signifies  that 
they  shall  have  no  lust  to  evil ;  neither  shall  any  heat  light  on 
them,  signifies  that  they  shall  have  no  lust  to  falsity.  Tliat  the 
sun  signifies  divine  love  and  thence  the  aflections  of  good  ;  and, 
in  an  opposite  sense,  diabolical  love  and  thence  the  lust  to  evil, 
may  be  seen  above,  n.  53.  But  the  reason  why  heat  signifies 
hist  to  the  false  of  evil,  is,  because  falsity  is  produced  from  evil, 
as  heat  is  from  the  sun ;  for  when  the  will  loves  evil,  the  under- 
standing loves  falsity,  and  burns  with  the  lust  of  confirming  it, 
and  evil  confirmed  in  the  understanding,  is  the  falsity  of  evil ; 
consequently  the  falsity  of  evil  is  evil  in  its  form.  Heat,  and  to 
burn  or  be  hot,  have  a  like  signification  in  the  following  places : 
"Blessed  is  the  man  that  trusteth  in  Jehovah, — and  he  shall 
not  see  when  heat  cometh,"  Jerem.  xvii.  7,  8.  '•■  For  thou  hast 
been  a  refuge  to  the  needy  from  the  storm;  a  shadow  from  its 
heat  / — even  the  heat  with  the  shadow  of  a  cloud,"  Isaiah  xxv. 
4,  5.  "In  their  heat — I  will  make  them  drunken, — that  they 
may  sleep  a  perpetual  sleep,"  Jerem.  li.  39.  "  They  are  all  hot 
as  an  oven,  there  is  none  among  them  that  calleth  unto  me," 
Hosea  vii.  7.  "  He  beholdeth  not  the  way  of  the  vineyards. 
Drought  and  heat  consume  the  snow  waters,"  Job  xxiv.  18,  19. 
*'  And  the  fourth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  sun ;  and 
power  was  given  unto  him  to  scorch  m.en  with  great  heat, — and 
they  blasphemed  the  name  of  God,"  Apoc.  xvi.  8,  9.  "  That 
thou  mayest  say  to  the  prisoners.  Go  forth  ; — ^They  shall  not 
liunger  nor  thirst,  neither  shall  the  heat  nor  sun  smite  them," 
Isaiah  xlix.  9,  10. 

383.  For  the  lamh  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  throne  shall 
feed  them,  signifies  that  the  Lord  alone  will  teach  them.  By 
the  Lamb  in  the  midst  of  the  throne,  is  signified  the  Lord  as  to 
his  Divine  Humanity  in  the  inmost,  and  thus  in  all  things  of 
heaven  ;  in  the  midst  is  in  the  inmost,  and  thereby  in  all  things, 
n.  44;  the  throne  is  heaven,  n.  14;  and  the  Lamb  is  the  Lord 
as  to  his  Divine  Humanity,  n.  269,  291  ;  and  he  who  is  in  the 


V.   16,  17.]         THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  3S4 

inmost,  and  thus  in  all  tilings  of  heaven,  alone  feeds,  that  is, 
teaches  all.  If  it  be  asked,  how  can  he  alone  feed  all  ?  be  it 
known  that  he  is  God,  and  because  in  tiie  universal  heaven  he 
is  as  a  soul  in  its  body,  for  heaven  is  from  him  as  one  man. 
To  feed  means  to  teach,  because  the  clmrch,  in  the  AVord,  is 
called  a  flock,  and  the  men  of  the  chnrch  are  called  sheep  and 
lambs,  hence  to  feed  signilies  to  teach,  and  a  pastor,  or  feeder, 
one  that  teaches  ;  and  this  in  many  places  ;  as  :  "  In  that  day 
shall  thy  cattle  feed  in  large  pastures,"  Isaiah  xxx.  23.  "  He 
shaW  feed  his  flock  as  a  shepherd,"  Isaiah  xl.  11.  "  They  shall 
feed  in  the  ways,  and  {\\q.\v  2)astiires  shall  be  in  all  high  places," 
Isaiah  xlix.  9.  Israel  "  shall  feed  on  Carmel  and  Bashan," 
Jerem.  I.  19.  "  I  will  seek  out  my  sheep,  I  will  feed  tliern  in 
a  good  pasture,  and  in  a  fat  pasture  npon  the  mountains  of 
Israel,"  Ezek.  xxxiv.  12 — 14.  ''^  Feed  thy  people, — let  them 
feed  in  Bashan  and  Gilead,"  Micah  vii.  14.  ''The  remnant  of 
Israel  ^XmWfeed  and  lie  down,"  Zeph.  iii.  13.  "  Jehovah  is  my 
shepherd,  I  shall  not  want,  he  maketh  me  to  lie  down  in  green 
pastures,"  Psalm  xxiii.  1,  2.  The  Lord  hath  chosen  David  to 
feed  Jacob  and  Israel,  and  he,  fed  them.  Psalm  Ixxviii.  70 — 72. 
Jesus  said  unto  Peter,  Feed  my  lambs,  and  a  second  and  a  third 
time  he  said.  Feed  my  sheep,  John  xxi.  15 — 17. 

384.  And  shall  lead  themj  xmto  living  fountains  of  waters, 
eignities,  and  lead  them  by  the  truths  of  the  Word  to  conjunction 
^vith  himself.  Since  by  a  living  fountain  of  waters  is  signified 
the  Lord,  and  also  the  AVord,  and  by  waters  are  signified  truths, 
n.  50,  and  since  by  the  divine  truths  of  the  AVord,  when  they 
are  brought  into  the  life,  or  by  living  according  to  them,  coti- 
junction  is  efi'ected  with  the  Lord,  therefore  by  leading  them  to 
living  fountains  of  waters,  is  signified  to  lead  by  the  truths  of 
the  AVord  to  conjunction  -with  the  Lord.  That  by  a  fountain 
and  fountains  is  signified  the  Lord,  and  also  the  AV'ord,  is  evi- 
dent from  these  passages :  "  All  my  fountains  are  in  thee,  O 
Jehovah,"  Psalm  Ixxxvii.  7.  "  They  have  deserted  Jehovah, 
the  Fountain  oflimng  waters^''  Jerem.  ii.  13.  "  And  thou  shalt 
make  them  drink  of  the  river  of  thy  pleasures,  for  w'ith  thee  is 
\k\e  fountain  of  life ^"^  Psalm  xxxvi.  9,  10.  "  In  that  day  shall  a 
fountain  be  opened  to  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,"  Zech  xiii. 
1.  Israel  dwelt  securely  solitary  at  the  fountain  of  Jacob, 
Dent,  xxxiii.  28.  AV^hen  the  Lord  was  sitting  at  Xhefoimtain 
of  Jacob,  he  said  nnto  the  woman,  "  The  water  that  I  shall  give 
shall  become  a  fountain  of  water  springing  np  into  everlasting 
life,"  John  iv.  5 — 20.  "Joseph  is  a  fruitful  bough  by  a  foun- 
tain,^'' Gen.  xlix.  22.  "  Bless  the  Lord  from  the  fountain  of 
Israel,"  Psalm  Ixviii.  26.  "  Therefore  with  joy  shall  ye  draw 
waters  out  of  the  fountains  of  salvation,"  Isaiah  xii.  3.  Unto 
liim  that  is  athirst  will  I  give  of  the  fountain  of  the  water  of 
life  frec4y,"  Apoc.  xxi.  6.  "  I  will  cause  them  to  walk  by  t)ie 
275 


S85,  386  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Cliap.  vii 

fountains  of  waters  in  the  straight  waj,"  Jerem.  xxxi.  9.  Ex' 
pressions  similar  to  these  and  the  above  in  the  Apocalypse, 
occur  also  in  Isaiah  :  "  Thet  shall  not  hunger  nor  thirst,  nei- 
ther SHALL  THE  HEAT  NOR  SUN  SMITE  THEM,  FOR  HE  THAT  HATH 
MERCY    ON    THEM    SHALL    LEAD   THEM   EVEN   BY   THE   FOUNTAINS    OF 

WATER,"  Isaiah  xlix.  10. 

385.  And  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes^ 
signifies  that  they  shall  no  longer  be  in  combats  against  evilg 
and  their  falses,  and  thereby  in  sorrow,  but  in  goods  and  truths, 
and  thence  in  celestial  joys  from  the  Lord.  That  these  things 
are  signified  by  the  Lamb  wiping  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes, 
is,  because  above,  in  verse  1-i,  it  is  said  that  these  are  they 
which  come  out  of  great  atfiiction,  by  which  is  signified  that 
they  are  such  as  have  been  in  temptations,  and  fought  against 
evils,  n.  37T  ;  and  they  who  afterwards  are  not  in  combats 
against  evils,  the  same  are  in  goods  and  truths,  and  thence  in 
celestial  joys.  The  following  passage  in  Isaiah  has  a  similar 
signification :  "  He  will  swallow  up  death  in  victory,  and  the 
Lord  Jehovah  will  wipe  away  the  tears  from  all  faces :  And  it 
shall  be  said  in  that  day,  Lo,  this  is  our  God,  we  have  waited 
for  him,  and  he  will  save  us.  This  is  Jehovah,"  we  have  waited 
for  him,  we  will  be  glad  and  rejoice  in  his  salvation,"  xxv.  8,  9. 

386.  To  the  above  I  will  add  this  Memorable  Relation.  On 
a  time,  when  looking  around  in  the  spiritual  world,  I  heard  a 
noise  like  that  of  the  gnashing  of  teeth,  and  also  a  beating 
noise,  and  a  sort  of  hoarse  sound  blended  with  them  :  and  I  in- 
quired what  was  meant  by  them  ;  and  the  angels  who  were  with 
me  said,  "  There  are  colleges  which  we  call  diversoria^'^  where 
disputations  take  place  ;  these  disputations  are  so  heard  at  a  dis- 
tance, but  on  coming  near  to  them  they  are  only  heard  as  dis- 
putations." I  drew  near,  and  saw  some  huts,  constructed  of 
reeds  stuck  together  with  mud ;  and  I  would  fain  have  looked 
through  a  window,  but  there  was  none  ;  for  it  was  not  allowed 
to  enter  by  the  door,  because  the  light  would  thus  have  flowed 
in  from  heaven,  and  confounded  them.  But  suddenly  a  window 
was  made  on  the  right  side ;  and  then  I  heard  them  complain 
that  they  were  in  darkness.  Shortly  afterwards  a  window  was 
made  on  the  left  side,  and  that  on  the  right  was  closed  ;  upon 
which  the  darkness  gradually  dispersed,  and  they  seemed  to 
themselves  to  be  in  the  light.  After  this  I  was  permitted  to 
go  in  at  the  door  and  hear.  There  was  a  table  in  the  middle, 
and  benches  round  about ;  but  they  all  seemed  to  me  to  stand 
upon  the  benches,  and  to  dispute  sharply  with  one  another  con- 
cerning FAITH  and  CHARITY  I  on  one  side,  that  faith  was  the 
essential  of  the  church  ;  on  the  other,  that  charity  was.     Thej 

*  A  house  of  resort. 

276 


V.  17.]  THE  ArOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.  386 

who  made  foith  the  essential,  said,  "  Have  we  not  to  do  with 
God  by  faith,  and  with  man  by  charity  ?  is  not  faith  therefore 
lieavenly,  and  charity  earthly  ?  are  we  not  saved  by  M'hat  is 
heavenly,  and  not  by  what  is  eartidy  ?  Again,  cannot  God  give 
faith  from  heaven,  because  it  is  heavenly,  and  must  not  man 
procure  to  himself  charity,  because  it  is  earthly?  and  what  man 
procures  for  himself,  is  not  of  the  church,  and  therefore  is  not 
saving :  can  any  one  be  justified  in  the  sight  of  God  by  works, 
which  are  called  M'orks  of  charity  ?  Believe  us,  we  are  not  only- 
justified,  but  also  sanctified  by  iaith  alone,  provided  that  faith 
be  not  defiled  by  things  meritorious,  which  are  derived  from 
works  of  charity  :"  not  to  mention  more  arguments  to  the  same 
purpose.  But  they  who  made  charity  the  essential  of  the 
church,  strenuously  denied  these  things,  saying,  "That  char- 
ity saves,  and  not  faith ;  are  not  all  dear  to  God,  and  does  he 
not  will  the  good  of  all?  how  can  God  eflt'ect  this,  except  by 
men  ?  does  God  only  give  to  men  to  talk  with  one  another  about 
such  things  as  relate  to  faith,  iind  not  to  do  to  men  those  things 
which  relate  to  charity?  do  you  not  see  that  it  is  absurd  in  you 
to  say  that  charity  is  earthly  ?  charity  is  heavenly,  and  because 
you  do  not  perform  the  good  of  charity,  your  faith  is  earthly ; 
now  do  you  receive  faith  but  as  a  stock  or  a  stone  ?  you  say  by 
the  hearing  of  the  Word  only ;  but  how  can  the  Word  operate 
by  being  heard  only,  and  this  too  upon  a  stock  or  a  stone?  pos- 
sibly you  are  quickened  without  knowing  it ;  but  of  what  avail 
is  this  quickening,  except  in  being  enabled  to  say  that  faith 
alone  saves  ?  but  what  faith  is,  and  what  a  saving  faith,  you 
know  not."  But  there  then  arose  one,  who,  by  the  angel  that 
was  talking  with  me,  was  called  a  syncretist  ;*  he  took  off  a 
turban  from  his  head,  and  placed  it  on  the  table ;  but  suddenly 
put  it  on  again,  because  he  was  bald.  He  said,  "  Attend  !  you 
are  all  in  error ;  it  is  true  that  faith  is  spiritual,  and  charity, 
moral  ;  but  yet  they  are  joined  together;  and  this  by  the  Word, 
by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  by  effect,  without  man's  knowledge, 
which  indeed  may  be  called  obedience,  but  in  which  man  has 
no  share.  I  have  long  considered  this  with  myself,  and  have  at 
length  discovered,  that  man  may  receive  faith  from  God,  which 
may  be  spiritual,  but  that  he  cannot  be  moved  by  God  to  char- 
ity, which  may  be  spiritual,  but  as  a  statue  of  salt."  On  say- 
ing *this,  he  was  applauded  by  those  who  were  in  faith  alone, 
but  disapproved  by  those  who  were  in  charity :  and  the  latter 
said,  with  indignation,  "  Hear,  friend  !  you  do  not  know  that 
there  is  a  spiritual  moral  life,  and  that  there  is  a  moral  life 
merely  natural ;  a  spiritual  moral  life  with  those  who  do  good 

*  Syncretist — a  name  given  to  some  Platonic  Christians  in  the  fifteenth  century, 
who  steered  a  middle  course  between  the  opposite  factions  among  the  follower! 
of  Aristotle  and  Plato  ;  a  sect  held  in  great  veneration,  for  along  time,  among  th* 
nijstics.      Vide  Mosheim's  Ecclesiastical  History,  Cent  15,  Ch.  IL  Part  2. 

277 


Gliap.  viii.]  the  APocALYrsE  revealed.  386 

from  God,  and  yet  as  if  from  tlienselves  ;  and  a  moral  life 
merely  natural  with  those  who  do  good  from  hell,  and  yet  as  if 
from  themselves." 

It  was  said  above,  that  the  disputation  was  heard  as  a  gnash- 
ing of  teeth,  and  as  a  beating  noise,  with  which  a  hoarse  sound 
was  blended.  The  disputation  heard  as  a  gnashing  of  teeth, 
was  by  those  who  were  in  faith  alone  ;  butthe  disputation  heard 
as  a  beating  noise,  was  by  those  wlio  were  in  charity  alone ;  and 
the  hoarse  sound  that  was  blended  with  them  was  from  the  syn- 
cretist.  The  sound  of  them  was  so  heard  at  a  distance,  because, 
when  in  the  world,  they  all  spent  their  time  in  disputations, 
and  did  not  shun  any  evil,  and  therefore  performed  no  spiritual 
moral  good ;  and,  moreover,  they  were  entirely  ignorant,  that 
the  all  of  faith  is  truth,  and  the  all  of  charity,  good,  and  that 
truth  without  good  is  not  truth  in  spirit,  and  tha't  good  without 
truth  is  not  good  in  spirit,  and  that  thus  one  makes  or  com 
pletes  the  other.  The  reason  why  darkness  ensued  when  a  win 
dow  was  made  on  the  right  side,  is,  because  light  from  heaven 
llowing-in  on  that  side  aifects  the  will ;  and  the  reason  why 
there  w^as  light  when  the  window  on  the  right  side  was  shut,  and 
another  was  made  on  the  left,  is,  because  light  flowing-in  from 
heaven  on  the  left  side  affects  the  understanding,  and  man  may 
be  in  the  light  of  heaven  as  to  his  understanding,  provided  the 
will  be  closed  as  to  its  evil. 


CHAPTER  YIII. 


1.  And  when  he  had  opened  the  seventh  seal,  there  was 
silence  in  heaven  about  the  space  of  half  an  hour. 

2.  And  I  saw  the  seven  angels,  Mdio  stood  before  God ;  and 
to  them  were  given  seven  trumpets. 

3.  And  another  angel  came  and  stood  at  the  altar,  having  a 
golden  censer :  and  there  was  given  unto  him  much  incense, 
that  he  should  offer  it  with  the  prayers  of  all  saints  upon  the 
golden  altar  which  was  before  the  throne. 

4.  And  the  smoke  of  the  incense,  which  came  with  the 
prayers  of  the  saints,  ascended  out  of  the  hand  of  the  angel 
before  God. 

5.  And  the  angel  took  the  censer,  and  filled  it  with  the  fire 
of  the  altar,  and  cast  it  unto  the  earth  :  and  there  were  voices, 
and  thunderings,  and  lightnings,  and  an  earthquake. 

6.  And  the  seven  angels  tliat  had  the  seven  trumpets  pre- 
pared themselves  to  sound. 

7.  The  first  angel  sounded,  and  there  followed  hail  and  fire, 
mingled  with  blood  ;  and  they  were  cast  upon  the  earth ;  and 

.9-78 


386  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEAI  ED.  [Cliap.  viil. 

tlie  tliird  part  of  tlie  trees  was  burnt  i-.p,  and  al    green  grass 
was  burnt  up. 

8.  And  the  second  angel  sounded,  and  as  it  were  a  great 
mountain  burning  witli  fire  was  cast  into  the  sea  :  and  the  third 
part  of  tlie  sea  l»ecanie  blood. 

9.  And  the  third  part  of  the  creatures  which  were  in  the 
sea,  and  had  life,  died ;  and  the  third  part  of  the  ships  were 
destroyed. 

10.  And  the  third  angel  sounded,  and  there  fell  from  heaven 
a  great  star  burning  as  it  were  a  lamp :  and  it  fell  upon  the 
third  part  of  the  rivers,  and  upon  the  fountains  of  waters: 

11.  And  the  name  of  the  star  is  called  Wormwood:  and  the 
third  part  of  the  waters  became  wormwood  ;  and  many  men 
died  of  the  waters,  because  they  were  made  bitter. 

12.  And  the  fourth  angel  sounded,  and  the  third  part  of  tlie 
sun  was  smitten,  and  the  third  part  of  the  moon,  and  the 
third  part  of  the  stars  ;  so  that  the  third  part  of  them  was  dark- 
ened, and  the  day  shone  not  for  a  third  part  of  it,  and  the  night 
likewise. 

13.  And  I  beheld,  and  I  heard  an  angel  flying  in  the  midst 
of  heaven,  saying  with  a  loud  voice.  Woe,  woe,  woe,  to  the  in- 
liabiters  of  the  earth,  by  reason  of  the  other  voices  of  the  trum- 
pet of  the  three  angels  that  are  yet  to  sound. 


THE  SPIRITUAL  SENSE. 


The  Contents  of  the  whole  Chapter.  Tlie  reformed  church 
is  here  treated  of,  as  to  the  quality  of  those  therein  who  are  in 
faith  alone :  the  preparation  of  the  spiritual  heaven  for  com- 
munication with  them,  verses  1 — 6.  The  exploration  and 
manifestation  of  those  therein,  who  are  in  the  interiors  of  that 
faith,  verse  T  ;  of  those  who  are  in  its  exteriors,  verses  8,  9  ; 
what  they  are  in  regard  to  the  understanding  of  the  Word, 
verses  10,  11.  Tliat  they  are  in  falses  and  thence  in  evils, 
verses  12,  13. 

.  Thr  Contents  of  each  Yerse.  V.  1,  "And  when  he  had 
opened  the  seventh  seal,"  signifies  exploration  from  the  Lord 
of  the  state  of  the  church,  and  thence  of  the  life  of  those  who 
are  in  his  spiritual  kingdom,  being  those  who  are  in  charity  and 
its  faith ;  in  this  case  who  are  in  faith  alone:  "There  was  si- 
lence in  heaven  about  the  space  of  half  an  hour,"  signifies  that 
the  angels  of  the  Lord's  spiritual  kingdom  were  greatly  amazed, 
when  they  saw  those  who  said  they  were  in  faith,  in  such  a  state : 
V.  2,  "  And  I  saw  the  seven  angels  who  stood  before  God,"  sig- 
nifies the  universal  spiritual  heaven  in  the  presence  of  tho 
279 


THE   APOCALYPSE   EEVEALED.  [Chap.  viii. 

Lord,  iiearing  and  doing  his  commands :  "  And  to  them  were 
given  rieven  trumpets,"  signifies  the  exploration  and  discovery 
of  the  state  of  the  cliurch,  and  thence  of  the  life  of  those  who 
are  in  faith  alone  :  v,  3,  "  And  another  angel  came  and  stood  at 
the  altar,  having  a  golden  censer,"  signifies  spiritual  worship, 
which  is  performed  from  the  good  of  charity  by  the  truths  of 
faith  :  "  And  there  was  given  him  much  incense,  that  he  should 
oifer  it  with  the  prayers  of  all  saints  upon  the  golden  altar  which 
was  before  the  throne,"  signifies  propitiation  lest  the  angels  of 
the  Lord's  spiritual  kingdom  should  be  hurt  by  the  spirits  of 
the  satanic  kingdom  that  were  beneath  :  v.  4,  "  And  the  smoke 
of  the  incense  which  came  with  the  prayers  of  the  saints  as- 
cended up  out  of  the  hand  of  the  angels  before  God,"  signifies 
the  protection  of  them  by  the  Lord  :  v.   5,  "  And  the  angel 
took  the  censer,  and  filled  it  with  the  tire  of  the  altar,  and  cast 
it  unto  the  earth,"   signifies  spiritual  love,  in  which  there  is 
celestial  love,  and  its  influx  into  inferior  things,  where  they 
were  who  were  in  faith  separated  from  charity  :  "  And  there 
were  voices,  and  thunderings,  and  lightnings,  and  an  earth- 
quake," signifies  that  after  a  communication  was  opened  with 
them,  there  were  heard  reasonings  concerning  faith  alone,  and 
confirmations  in  favour  of  it:  v,   6,  "And  the  seven  angels 
that  had  the  seven  trumpets  prepared  themselves  to  sound," 
signifies  that   they  were  prepared  and  ready  to  exjjlore    the 
state  of  the  cliurch    and  thence  the  state  of  life  with  those 
whose  religion  is  faith  alone:  v.  7,  "The  first  angel  sounded," 
signifies  the  exploration  and  manifestation  of  the  quality  of 
the  state  of  the  church  with  those  who  are  interiorly  in  that 
faith  :  "  And  there  followed  hail  and  fire  mingled  with  blood," 
signifies  falsity  from  infernal  love  destroying  good  and  truth, 
and  falsifying  l^ie  Word :    "  And   they  were    cast   upon   the 
earth,  and  the  third  part  of  the  trees  was  burnt  up,"  signifies 
that  with  them  all  the  affection  and  perce23tion  of  truth,  which 
constitute  the   man  of  the  church,  had  perished :    "  And  all 
green  grass  was  burnt  up,"  signifies,  thus  all  that  is  alive  in 
faith  :  v.  8,  "And  the  second  angel  sounded,"  signifies  the  ex- 
ploration and  manifestation  of  what  the  state  of  the  church  is 
with  those  who  are  exteriorly  in  that  faith :  "  And  as  it  were  a 
great  mountain  burning  with  fire  was  cast  into  the  sea,"  signi- 
fies the  appearance   of  infernal  love   with  them  :  "  And  the 
third  part  of  the  sea  became  blood,"  signifies  that  all  general 
truths  with  them  were  falsified  :  v.  9,  "  And  the  third  part  of 
the  creatures  which  were  in  the  sea  that  had  life,  died,"  signi- 
fies that  they  who  have  lived  and  do  live  this  faith  cannot  be 
reformed  and  receive  life  :  "And  the  third  part  of  the  ships 
were  destroyed,"  signifies  that  all  the  knowledges  of  good  and 
truth  from  the  Word,  serving  for  the  use  of  life,  were  destroyed 
with  them:  v.  10,  "And  the  third  angel  sounded,"  signifies 
280 


Chap,  viii.]  tue  apocalypse  revealed.  387 

the  exploration  and  manifestation  of  the  state  ot  tlie  clmrcli 
with  those  whose  religion  is  faith  alone,  as  to  the  affection  and 
reception  of  truths  from  the  Word  :  "And  there  fell  from  hea- 
ven a  great  star,  burning  as  it  were  a  lamp,"  signilies  the  ap- 
pearance of  self-derived  intelligence  from  a  pride  springing 
from  infernal  love  :  "  And  it  fell  upon  the  third  part  of  the 
rivers,  and  upon  the  fountains  of  waters,"  signilies  that  thence 
all  the  truths  uf  the  Word  were  totally  falsilied  :  v.  11,  "  And 
the  name  of  the  star  is  called  Wormwood  ;  and  tlio  third  pait 
of  the  waters  became  wormwood,"  signifies  the  infernal  falsity 
from  which  their  self-derived  intelligence  is  derived,  by  which 
all  the  truths  of  the  Word  are  falsified  :  "And  many  men  died 
of  the  waters,  because  they  were  made  bitter,"  signilies  the 
extinction  of  spiritual  life  from  the  falsified  truths  of  the  Word  : 
V.  12,  "  And  the  fourth  angel  sounded,"  signifies  the  explora- 
tion and  manifestation  of  the  state  of  the  church  with  those 
whose  religion  is  faith  alone,  as  being  in  the  evils  of  falsity,  and 
in  the  falsities  of  evil :  "And  the  third  part  of  the  sun  was  smit- 
ten, and  the  third  part  of  the  moon,  and  the  tltird  part  of  the 
stars,  so  that  the  tliird  part  of  them  was  darl'cened,'*  signifies 
that  by  reason  of  evils  from  falsities  and  of  falsities  from  evils, 
they  did  not  know  what  love  is,  or  what  faith  is,  or  any  truth: 
"  And  the  day  shone  not  for  a  third  part  of  it,  and  the  night 
likewise,"  signifies  that  there  is  no  longer  any  spiritual  truth 
nor  natural  truth  serviceable  for  doctrine  and  life  from  the 
Word  with  them  :  v.  13,  "  And  I  beheld,  and  I  heard  an  angel 
flying  in  the  midst  of  heaven,"  signifies  instruction  and  pre- 
diction from  the  Lord  :  "  Saying  with  a  loud  voice.  Woe,  woe, 
woe,  to  the  inhabiters  of  the  earth,  by  reason  of  the  other 
voices  of  the  trumpet  of  the  three  angels  which  are  yet  to 
sound,"  signifies  deep  lamentation  over  the  damned  state  of 
those  in  the  church,  who  in  doctrine  and  life  have  confirmed 
themselves  in  faith  separate  from  charity. 


THE  EXPLANATION. 


387  .TuKRE  arc  two  kingdoms  into  which  the  universal  hea- 
ven is  divided,  the  celestial  kingdom  and  the  spiritual  king- 
dom. The  celestial  kingdom  consists  of  those  who  are  in  love 
to  the  Lord  and  thence  in  wisdom ;  and  the  spiritual  kingdom 
consists  of  those  who  are  in  love  towards  their  neighbour,  and 
thence  in  intelligence  ;  and  as  love  towards  our  neiglibour  is  at 
this  day  called  charity,  and  intelligence,  faith,  the  latter  king- 
dom consists  of  those  who  are  in  charity,  and  thence  in  faith. 
Now,  because  heaven  is  divided  into  two  kingdoms,  hell  also  is 
281 


388  THE   APOCALYPSE   EEVEALED.  [Chap.  vlll. 

divided  into  two  kingdoms  that  are  opposite  to  them  ;  into  a 
DIABOLICAL  KINGDOM  aiid  into  a  SATANicAL  KINGDOM.  The  diabo- 
lical kingdom  consists  of  those  who  are  in  the  love  of  dominion 
from  self-love,  and  thence  in  foolishness ;  for  this  love  is  opposite 
to  celestial  love,  and  its  foolishness  is  opposite  to  celestial  wis- 
dom :  but  the  satanical  kingdom  consists  of  those  who  are  in  the 
love  of  dominion  from  the  pride  of  self-derived  intelligence,  and 
thence  in  insanity;  for  this  love  is  opposite  to  spiritual  love,  and 
its  insanity  is  opposite  to  spiritual  intelligence.  By  foolishness 
and  insanity  are  meant  foolishness  and  insanity  in  things  celes- 
tial and  spiritual.  The  same  things  which  are  said  of  heaven 
are  to  be  understood  of  the  church  on  earth,  for  they  make  one. 
Concerning  these  two  kingdoms,  see  the  work  on  Heaven  and 
Hell,  n.  20 — 28,  and  many  other  places.  Now,  as  the  Apoca- 
lypse treats  only  of  the  state  of  the  church  at  its  end,  as  was 
observed  in  the  preface,  and  at  n.  2,  therefore  what  now  follows 
treats  of  those  who  are  in  the  two  kingdoms  of  heaven,  and  of 
those  who  are  in  the  two  kingdoms  of  hell,  and  of  their  quality  ; 
from  this  chapter,  viz.,  viii.  to  xvi.,  of  those  who  are  in  the  spir- 
itual kingdom,  and  in  the  satanical  kingdom  opposite  to  it ;  in 
•chap.  xvii.  and  xviii.,  of  those  who  are  in  the  celestial  kingdom, 
and  in  the  diabolical  kingdom  ojjposite  to  it ;  and  afterwards  of 
the  last  judgment;  and,  lastly,  of  the  New  Church  which  is  the 
New  Jerusalem  ;  this  bringing  all  that  goes  before  to  a  conclu- 
sion, by  reason  of  its  constituting  the  final  purpose.  In  many 
parts  of  the  Word  the  devil  and  satan  are  mentioned,  and  by 
both  is  meant  hell ;  it  is  so  named,  because  all  in  one  hell  are 
called  devils,  and  all  in  the  other  are  called  satans. 

388.  And  when  he  had  ojyened  the  seventh  seal,  signifies  ex- 
ploration from  the  Lord  of  the  state  of  the  church,  and  thence 
of  the  state  of  life  of  those  who  are  in  his  spiritual  kingdom, 
being  those  who  are  in  charity  and  its  faith ;  in  this  case,  who 
are  in  faith  alone.  That  this  is  the  signification  of  these  words, 
may  appear  from  all  the  particulars  of  this  chapter  when  under- 
stood in  a  spiritual  sense ;  for  this  chapter  and  the  following  to 
capter  xvi.  treat  of  those  who  are  in  the  spiritual  kingdom,  or 
those  who  are  in  love  towards  their  neighbour  and  thence  in 
intelligence,  as  M^as  said  above,  n.  387.  But  since,  at  this  day, 
the  word  charity  is  used  instead  of  love  towards  our  neighbour, 
and  faith  instead  of  intelligence  ;  and  here  there  is  not  any 
exploration  of  those  who  are  in  charity  and  thence  in  faith, 
because  these  belong  to  such  as  are  in  heaven ;  therefore  explo- 
ration is  here  made  of  those  who  are  in  faith  alone.  Faith 
alone  is  also  faith  separated  from  charity,  there  being  no  con- 
junction :  see  below,  n.  41T.  That  to  open  the  seal  signifies 
to  explore  states  of  life,  or,  what  is  the  same  thing,  the  states 
of  the  church  and  thence  of  life,  see  above,  n.  295,  302,  309, 
317,  324. 
282 


V.  1 3.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         389 — 392 

389.  There  loas  silence  hi  heamen  about  the  space  of  half  an 
hour,  sigiiities  tluit  the  angels  of  the  Lord's  spiritual  kingdom 
were  greatly  amazed,  when  they  saw  those,  who  said  they  were 
in  faitii,  in  such  a  state.  By  silence  in  heaven,  nothing  else  is 
meant  but  amazement  there  in  regard  to  those  who  say  they  are 
in  faith,  and  are  nevertheless  in  such  a  state  ;  for  their  state  is 
described  in  what  follows,  the  quality  of  which  will  be  rendered 
evident  by  the  explanation.  By  half  an  hour  is  signified  greatly, 
because  by  an  hour  is  signified  a  full  state.  That  time  signifies 
state,  will  be  seen  below. 

390.  And  I  saw  the  seven  angels  who  stood  before  God,  sig- 
nifies the  universal  spiritual  heaven  in  the  presence  of  the  Lord, 
hearing  and  doing  his  commands.  By  seven  angels  is  signi- 
fied the  universal  heaven,  because  seven  signifies  all,  or  every 
thing,  thence  the  total,  and  the  universal,  n.  10 ;  and  by  angels, 
in  a  supreme  sense,  is  signified  the  Lord,  and,  in  a  relative  sense, 
heaven,  n.  5,  66,  342,  344  ;  here,  the  spiritual  heaven,  as  may 
appear  from  what  was  said  above,  n.  387,  388.  That  to  stand 
before  God  signifies  to  hear  and  do  his  commands,  see  above, 
n.  366. 

391.  A7id  to  them  were  given  seven  trumpets,  signifies  the 
exploration  and  discovery  of  the  state  of  the  church,  and  thence 
of  the  life  of  those  who  are  in  faitli  alone.  Here,  by  trumpets 
the  same  thing  is  signified  as  by  sounding,  because  they  sounaed 
WMth  them,  and  by  sounding  with  trumpets  is  signified  to  call 
together  upon  solemn  occasions,  which  w^ere  various  ;  in  this 
case,  for  the  purpose  of  exploring  and  discovering  the  quality 
of  those  who  are  in  faith  alone,  thus  the  quality  of  those  who 
are  at  this  day  of  the  reformed  churches.  "It  should  be  ob- 
served, that  the  church  in  the  reformed  world  is  at  this  day 
divided  into  three,  from  the  three  leaders,  Luther,  Calvin,  and 
Melancthon,  and  that  these  three  churches  difi:er  in  various 
things;  but  in  this  point,  that  man  is  justified  by  faith  with- 
out the  works  of  the  law,  they  all  agree,  which  is  remarkable." 
Tfiat  by  sounding  with  trumpets  is  signified  to  call  together, 
will  be  seen  below,  n.  397. 

392.  And  another  a7igel  came  and  stood  at  the  altar,  having 
a  golden  censer,  signifies  spiritual  worship,  which  is  performed 
from  the  good  of  charity  by  the  truths  of  faith.  By  the  altar 
at  which  the  angel  stood,  and  by  the  golden  censer  M-hich  he 
had  in  his  haiid,  is  signified  the  worshi])  of  the  Lord  from  spir- 
itual love,  which  worship  exists  from  the  good  of  charity  by 
tlie  truths  of  faith.  With  the  children  of  Israel  there  were  two 
altars,  one  without  the  tent,  and  the  other  within  it ;  the  altar 
without  the  tent  was  called  the  altar  of  hurnt-offering,  because 
burnt-off'erings  and  sacrifices  were  offered  upon  it ;  the  altar 
M'ithin  the  tent  was  called  the  altar  of  incense,  ii%  also  \\m  golden 
altar.    There  were  two  altars,  because  the  worship  of  the  Lord 

283 


392  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Chap,  viii 

is  performed  from  celestial  love  and  from  spiritual  -ove  ;  from 
celestial  love  by  those  who  are  in  his  celestial  kingdom,  and 
from  spiritual  love  by  those  who  are  in  his  spiritual  kingdom ; 
concerning  these  two  kingdoms,  see  above,  n.  387.  Concerning 
the  two  altars,  see  the  following  passages  in  Moses  :  on  the  altar 
of  burnt-offering,  Exod.  xx.  2-i  to  the  end ;  xxvii.  1 — 9  ;  xxxix. 
36—43;  Levit.  vii.  1—5;  viii.  11;  xvi.18,  19,  33,  34.  On 
the  altar  of  incense,  Exod.  xxx.  1 — 10 ;  xxxii.  6  ;  xxxvii.  25 — 
29  ;  xl.  5,  26  ;  Numb.  vii.  1.  That  altars,  censers,  and  incense, 
were  seen  by  John,  was  not  because  such  things  exist  in  heaven, 
these  being  only  representative  of  the  worship  of  the  Lord 
there  ;  the  reason  is,  because  such  things  were  instituted  among 
the  children  of  Israel,  and  are  therefore  often  mentioned  in  the 
Word ;  and  that  church  was  a  representative  church,  for  all 
things  connected  with  their  worship  did  represent,  and  do  con- 
sequently now  signify,  the  divine  celestial  and  spiritual  things 
of  the  Lord,  which  relate  to  his  church  in  the  heavens  and  in 
the  earths.  The  same  is  therefore  signified  by  the  two  altars 
spoken  of  in  the  Word,  in  the  following  passages  :  "  O  send  out 
thy  light  and  thy  truth,  let  them  lead  me  ;  let  them  bring  me 
to  thy  holy  hill. — Then  will  I  go  unto  the  altar  of  God,  unto 
God  my  exceeding  joy,"  Psalm  xliii,  3,  4.  "I  will  wash  my 
hands  in  innocency  ;  so  will  I  compass  thine  altar,  O  Jehovah  ; 
that  I  may  publish  with  the  voice  of  thanksgiving,"  Psalm  xxvi. 
6,  7.  "  The  sin  of  Judah  is  written  with  a  pen  of  iron,  it  is 
graven  upon  the  table  of  their  heart,  and  upon  the  horns  of 
your  altars,''''  Jerem.  xvii.  1,  2.  "  God  is  Jehovah,  which  hath 
showed  us  light ;  bind  the  sacrifice  with  cords  unto  the  horns  of 
the  altar,''''  Psalm  cxviii.  27.  "  Li  that  day  shalt  thou  be  an 
altar  to  Jehovah  in  the  midst  of  the  land  of  Egypt,"  Isaiah  xix. 
19.  The  altar  of  Jehovah  in  the  midst  of  the  land  of  Egypt, 
signifies  the  worship  of  the  Lord  from  love  in  the  natural  man. 
"The  thorn  and  the  thistle  shall  come  np  on  their  altars^'' 
Hosea  x.  7,  8 :  by  which  is  signified  worship  from  evils  and 
from  the  falses  of  evil.  Besides  other  places  ;  as  Isaiah  xxvii. 
9  ;  Ivi.  6,  7 ;  Ix.  7 ;  Lament,  ii.  7  ;  Ezek.  vi.  3,  4,  6, 13  ;  Hosea 
viii.  11  ;  x.  1,  2  ;  Amos  iii.  14  ;  Psalm  li.  18, 19  ;  Psalm  Ixxxiv. 
3—5;  Matt.  v.  23,  24;  xxiii.  18—20.  Since  the  worship  of 
the  Lord  was  represented  and  thence  signified  by  the  altar,  it  is 
evident  that  by  altar  here  in  the  Apocalypse  nothing  else  is 
understood :  and  also  elsewhere :  as,  "  I  saw  under  the  altar 
the  souls  of  them  that  were  slain  for  the  Word  of  God,"  Apoc. 
vi.  9.  "  The  angel  stood  saying.  Pise,  and  measure  the  temple 
of  God  and  the  altar,  and  them  that  worship  therein,"  Apoc. 
xi.  1.  "  And  I  heard  another  angel  out  of  the  altar,  say, — 
True  and  righteous  are  thy  judgments,"  Apoc.  xvi.  7.  As 
represenuitive  worship,  which  was  performed  for  the  most  part 
upon  two  altars,  was  abolished  by  the  Lord  when  he  came  intc 
284 


V.   3 — 5.]  THE  APOCALTPSK  REVEALED.  393,  394 

tlie  -world,  from  tlie  circniiistanco  of  his  liavino;  himself  opened 
the  interiors  of  the  chnrch  ;  therefore  it  is  said  in  Isaiah,  "At 
that  day  shall  a  man  look  to  his  Maker,  and  his  eyes  shall  have 
respect  to  the  Holy  One  of  Israel.  And  he  shall  not  look  to 
the  altars,  the  work  of  his  hands,"  xvii.  8. 

393.  And  there  was  given  him  much  incense,  that  he  should 
offer  it  with  the  prayers  of  all  saints  upon  the  golden  altar  which 
loas  hefore  the  throne,  signifies  propitiation,  lest  the  angels  of 
the  Lrtrd's  spiritnal  kingdom  shonld  be  hurt  b}'-  the  spirits  of 
the  Satanic  kingdom,  that  were  beneath.  By  the  incense  and 
by  the  golden  altar  is  signified  the  worship  of  the  Lord  from 
spiritual  love,  n.  277,  392  ;  by  prayers  are  signified  those  things 
which  relate  to  charity  and  thence  to  faith  in  worship,  n.  278 ; 
and  by  saints  are  meant  those  who  are  of  the  Lord's  spiritual 
kingdom  ;  and  by  the  righteous,  those  who  are  of  the  Lord's 
celestial  kingdom,  n.  173  :  from  which  it  may  aj^pear,  that  they 
who  are  in  the  Lord's  spiritual  kingdom  are  here  treated  of. 
That  much  incense  offered  with  the  prayers  of  all  saints  upon 
the  golden  altar  signifies  propitiation,  lest  they  shonld  bo  hurt 
by  tlie  spirits  of  tlie  satanic  kingdom  who  were  beneath  them, 
is,  because  propitiations  and  expiations  were  made  by  incense, 
especialh'  when  dangers  threatened ;  as  may  appear  from  the 
following  passages  :  When  the  congregation  murmured  against 
Moses  and  Aaron,  and  were  afiected  watli  a  plague,  Aaron  took 
fire  from  off  the  altar,  and  ])ut  incense  into  a  censer,  and  ran  in 
among  the  living  and  the  dead  to  make  atonement,  "  and  the 
plague  was  stayed,"  Numb.  xvi.  46 — 48.  Moreover,  the  altar 
of  incense  was  placed  in  the  tabernacle,  before  the  mercy-seat, 
that  was  over  the  ark,  and  ijiceoise  was  offered  on  it  every  morn- 
ing when  the  lamps  were  dressed,  Exod.  xxx.  1 — 10.  And  it 
was  commanded,  that  as  often  as  Aaron  entered  within  the  vail, 
he  should  offer  incejise,  and  the  cloud  of  incense  should  cover 
the  mercy-seat,  lest  he  should  die,  Levit.  xvi.  11 — 13.  Hence 
it  may  appear,  that  propitiations  in  the  representative  Israel- 
itish  church  were  made  by  offering  incense:  in  like  manner 
here,  that  they  might  not  be  hurt  by  the  satanic  spirits  who 
were  beneath  them. 

394.  And  the  smoke  of  the  incense  which  came  with  thepray- 
ers  of  the  saints,  ascended  up  out  of  the  hand  of  the  angd  before 
God,  signifies  the  protection  of  them  by  the  Lord.  By  the 
Bmoke  of  the  incense  ascending  before  God  is  signified  wliat  is 
accepted  and  grateful ;  wherefore  the  like  is  said  by  David  : 
''  Let  my  prayers  be  set  forth  before  thee  as  incense^''  Psalm 
cxli.  2 ;  the  reason  was,  because  the  smoke  of  the  incense  was 
fragrant,  from  the  spices  of  which  it  was  composed,  which  were 
stacte,  onyche,  galbanum,  and  frankincense,  Exod.  xxx.  34; 
and  the  fragrances  of  those  spices  correspond  to  such  things  as 
are  of  spiritual  love  or  charity,  and  thence  of  faith  ;    for  ia 

285 


395,  396  THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.  [Chap.  viii. 

heaven  most  fragrant  odours  are  sensibly  perceived  correspond- 
ing to  the  perceptions  of  the  angels  originating  from  their  love; 
therefore  it  is  also  said  in  many  parts  of  the  W^ord,  that  Jeho- 
vah smelled  an  odour  of  rest.  That  protection  from  tlie  Lord 
is  signified,  follows  from  what  was  said  above,  n.  393. 

395.  And  the  angel  took  the  censer,  and  filled  it  with  the  fire 
of  the  altar,  and  cast  it  unto  the  earth,  signifies  spiritual  love,  in 
which  is  celestial  love,  and  its  influx  into  inferior  things,  where 
they  were  who  are  in  faith  separated  from  charity.  That  by  a 
censer,  as  well  as  by  incense,  is  signified  worship  from  spiritual 
love,  is  evident  from  what  w^as  shown  above  ;  and  also  from  this 
consideration,  that  in  the  Word,  the  thing  containing  signifies 
the  same  as  the  thing  contained,  as  a  cup  and  platter  signify 
the  same  as  wine  and  meat.  Matt,  xxiii.  25,  26 ;  Luke  xxii.  20; 
and  in  other  places.  By  the  fire  of  the  altar  of  burnt-oifering, 
is  signified  divine  celestial  love,  because  by  that  altar  was  sig- 
nified worship  from  that  love,  as  may  be  seen  above,  n.  392 ; 
and  by  fire,  in  a  supreme  sense,  is  signified  divine  love,  n.  494. 
Spiritual  love,  which  is  charity,  derives  its  essence  from  celestial 
love,  which  is  love  to  the  Lord;  without  this  love  there  is 
nothing  vital  in  spiritual  love  or  charity,  for  spirit  and  life  is 
from  no  other  source  than  from  the  Lord.  This  was  repre- 
sented in  the  Israelitish  church  by  their  not  being  allowed  to 
take  fire  from  any  other  place  to  put  into  the  censer  when  they 
offered  incense,  than  from  the  altar  of  burnt-offering;  as  may 
appear  in  Moses,  Levit.  xvi.  12,  13 ;  Numb.  xvii.  11,  12 :  and 
that  the  two  sons  of  Aaron  were  consumed  hj  fire  from  heaven, 
because  they  offered  incense  with  strange  fire,  that  is,  with  fire 
not  taken  from  the  altar,  Levit.  x.  1,  2 ;  therefore  it  was  also 
ordained,  that  j?rg  should  burn  constantly  on  the  altar  of  burnt- 
offering,  and  should  not  be  put  out,  Levit.  vi.  9  ;  and  this  by 
reason  that  the  fire  of  that  altar  signifies  the  divine  love  of  the 
Lord,  and  thence  love  to  the  Lord.  By  casting  the  censer  upon 
the  earth  is  signified  influx  into  lower  spheres  (or  degrees). 

396.  Aiid  there  were  voices,  and  thund^erings,  and  lightnings, 
and  an  eartliqualce,  signifies  that  after  a  communication  was 
opened  with  them,  there  were  heard  reasonings  concerning  faith 
alone,  and  confirmations  in  favour  of  it,  and  that  the  state  of 
the  church  with  them  was  perceived  to  be  tottering  towards 
destruction.  That  lightnings,  thunderings,  and  voices,  signify 
illustrations,  perceptions,  and  instructions,  by  influx  from  hea- 
ven, see  above,  n.  236 ;  but  here,  with  those  who  were  in  faith 
dlone,  who  have  no  illustration,  perception,  and  instruction,  by 
influx  from  heaven.  By  voices,  thunderings,  and  lightnings, 
are  signified  reasonings  about  faith  alone,  and  argumentations 
and  confirmations  in  favour  of  it ;  by  earthquakes  are  signified 
changes  of  the  state  of  the  church,  n.  331,  in  this  case,  that  the 
state  of  the  church  among  them  was  perceived  to  be  tottering 

286 


V.  5,  6.]  THE  APOCALVrSK  KKVEALED,  S'Jl 

towards  destruction;  for  earthquakes  take  place  in  the  workl  of 
spirits,  when  the  state  of  the  church  in  societies  is  perverted 
and  inverted.  The  reason  wliy  the  censer  was  thrown  unto  the 
eartli  hy  the  angel,  before  the  seven  angels  began  to  sound  with 
their  trumpets,  was,  that  by  influx  a  communication  might  be 
opened  between  those  who  were  in  the  spiritual  heaven,  with 
those  beneath  who  were  in  faith  alone ;  from  which  communi- 
cation there  arose  reasonings  and  confirmations  in  favour  of  it, 
which  were  also  heard  and  perceived  ;  wherefore  it  is  said  that 
after  a  communication  was  opened,  they  were  heard  and  per- 
ceived. 

397.  A7id  the  seven  angels  that  had  the  seven  trum/pets  pre- 
pared themselves  to  sound,  signifies  that  they  were  prepared  and 
ready  to  explore  the  state  of  the  church,  and  thence  the  state  of 
life,  with  those  whose  religion  is  faith  alone.  What  is  meant 
by  trumpets,  appears  from  the  statute  respecting  the  use  of  them 
among  the  sons  of  Israel,  concerning  which  it  is  thus  written  in 
Moses :  Jehovah  spake  unto  Moses  to  make  tnimj^ets  of  silver 
for  the  calling  of  the  assembly,  and  for  th.e  journeying  of  the 
camps ;  and  that  they  should  blow  with  them  in  days  of  glad- 
ness, and  festivals  and  new  moons,  and  over  burnt-otferings  and 
sacrifices  ;  also,  that  when  they  went  to  war  against  enemies  that 
infested  them,  they  should  blow  an  alarm  with  the  trumpets,  and 
that  then  they  should  come  into  remembrance  before  Jehovah 
God,  and  should  be  preserved  from  their  enemies,  Numb.  x.  1 
— 11.  From  these  words  it  may  be  seen  what  is  signified  by 
blowing  with  trumpets.  That  by  the  seven  angels  sounding,  is 
here  signified  the  exploration  and  manifestation  of  what  the 
fitate  of  the  church  is  with  those  whose  religion  consists  in  faith 
alone,  is  evident  from  the  particulars  of  this  chapter,  and  from 
the  particulars  of  the  chapters  that  follow  as  far  as  the  sixteenth 
inclusive,  when  understood  in  the  spiritual  sense.  From  the 
n^e  of  trumpets  among  the  sons  of  Israel  may  also  be  seen  what 
/s  signified  by  trumpets,  and  by  sounding  with  them,  in  the  fol- 
lowing places :  "  Blow  ye  the  trumpet  in  Zion,  and  sound  an 
alarm  in  my  holy  mountain,  for  the  day  of  Jehovah  cometh," 
Joel  ii.  1,  2.  "And  Jehovah  shall  be  seen  over  them,  and  his 
arrow  shall  go  forth  as  the  lightning,  and  the  Lord  Jehovah 
shall  How  the  trumpet^''  Zech.  ix.  14.  "  Jehovah  shall  go  forth 
as  a  lion  aiid  sound^''  Isaiah  xlii.  13.  "  And  it  shall  come  to 
pass  in  that  day,  that  the  great  trumpet  shall  be  blown,  and  they 
shall  come  which  were  ready  to  perish  in  the  land  of  Assyria, 
and  the  outcasts  in  the  land  of  E"-ypt,  and  shall  worship  Jeho- 
vah in  the  holy  mountain  at  Jerusalem,"  Isaiah  xxvii.  13. 
*'  And  he  shall  ser\d  his  angels  with  a  great  sound  of  a  trumpet, 
and  they  shall  gather  together  his  elect  from  the  four  winds, 
from  one  end  of  Iieaven  to  the  other,"  Matt.  xxiv.  31.  "Blessed 
is  the  people  who  know  the  joyful  sound ;  they  shall  walk,  0 
287 


398  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Chap.  Vlii. 

Jehovah,  in  the  light  of  thy  countenance,"  Psalm  Ixxxix.  15. 
"  When  the  morning  stars  sang  together,  and  all  the  sous  of 
God  shouted  for  joy,''''  Job  xxxviii.  7.  Since  the  sounds  of 
trumpets  signify  such  things,  and  as,  in  the  Israelitish  church, 
all  things  were  represented  to  the  life  according  to  corre- 
spondences and  their  consequent  significations,  therefore  it 
came  to  pass,  when  Jehovah  came  down'  upon  Mount  Sinai, 
that  there  were  voices,  and  lightnings,  and  a  heavy  cloud,  and  a 
vehement  voice  of  a  trinnpet,  and  a  voice  of  a  truin-pet  going  and 
strengthening  itself  greatly,  and  the  people  in  the  camp  trem- 
bled greatly,  Exod.  xix.  16 — 25.  And  for  the  same  reason  it 
came  to  pass,  that  when  the  three  hundred  with  Gideon  hlew 
with  their  trumpets  against  Midian,  then  tlie  sword  of  a  man 
was  against  his  companion,  and  they  fled.  Judges  vii.  16 — 22 : 
in  like  manner,  that  twelve  thousand  of  the  sons  of  Israel  with 
vessels  of  holiness  and  trumpets  in  their  hands  overcame  Midian, 
Numb.  xxxi.  1 — 8  ;  as  also,  that  the  wall  of  Jericho  fell  down, 
after  the  seven  priests  with  seven  trumpets  compassed  the  city 
seven  times,  Joshua  vi.  1 — 20.  Wherefore  it  is  said  in  Jere- 
miah, Sound  the  trumpet  against  Babylon  round  about,  her 
walls  are  destroyed,  1. 15 ;  and  in  Zephaniah,  "  A  day  of  clouds 
and  thick  darkness,  a  day  of  the  trumpet  and  alarm  against 
the  fenced  cities,"  i.  15,  16. 

398.  The  first  angel  sounded,  signifies  exploration  and  mani- 
festation of  the  quality  of  the  state  of  the  church  with  those 
who  are  interiorly  in  that  faith.  By  sounding  is  signified  to 
explore  and  make  manifest,  n.  397.  The  reason  why  by  the 
sounding  of  this  first  angel,  is  ineant  the  exploration  and  mani- 
festation of  the  state  of  the  church  with  those  who  are  interiorly 
in  that  faith,  is,  because  its  operation  was  felt  upon  the  earth, 
as  appears  from  what  follows  ;  and  the  operation  of  tlie  sound- 
ing of  the  second  angel  was  felt  upon  the  sea,  the  earth  and  the 
sea,  throughout  the  Apocalypse,  when  named  together,  meaning 
the  church  universal ;  by  the  earth,  the  church  as  consisting  of 
those  who  are  in  its  internals,  and  by  the  sea,  the  church  as 
consisting  of  those  who  are  in  its  externals  :  for  the  church  ia 
internal  and  external ;  internal  with  the  clergy,  and  external 
with  the  laity ;  or  internal  with  those  who  have  studied  its 
doctrinals  interiorly,  and  have  confirmed  them  from  the  Word, 
and  external  with  those  who  have  not.  Both  are  understood 
by  the  earth  and  the  sea  in  the  following  passages  in  the  Apo- 
calypse :  "  That  the  wind  should  not  blow  upon  the  earthy  nor 
on  the  «ga,"  vii.  1.  "  Hurt  not  the  earth,  neither  the  sea,^^  vii. 
3.  "  The  angel  descending  out  of  heaven  set  his  right  foot 
upon  the  sea,  and  his  left  upon  the  earth,''^  x.  2,  8 ;  also  in  verse 
6.  "  I  saw  a  beast  rise  out  of  the  sea, — and  another  beast 
coming  up  out  of  the  earth,''^  xiii.  1,  11.  "  Worshiu  him  who 
made  heaven  and  earth,  and  the  5«a,"  xiv.  7.  '  The  first 
288 


V.  6,  7.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  391 

.angel  poured  out  liis  vial  upon  the  earthy  and  the  second  angel 
his  upon  the  sea,"  xvi.  2,  3.  The  earth  and  sea  signify  the 
church  internal  and  external,  thus  the  church  universal,  because, 
in  the  spiritual  wtirld,  thev  who  are  in  the  internals  of  tlie 
cliui-ch  appear  upon  dry  land,  and  they  who  are  in  its  externals, 
as  on  the  sea ;  hut  the  sea  is  oidy  an  appearance  from  the  gene- 
ral truths  in  which  they  are  princi})led.  Tliat  earth  signifies 
tlie  cliurcli,  may  he  seen,  n.  285:  so  also  does  the  world;  see 
11.  551. 

399.  And  there  folloioed  hail  and  fire  mingled,  with  bloody 
signifies  falsity  from  infernal  love  destroying  good  and  truth, 
an(.l  falsifying  the  Word.  By  hail  is  signified  falsity  destroying 
good  and  truth  ;  by  fire  is  signified  infernal  love  ;  and  by  blood 
is  signified  tlie  falsification  of  truth.  That  hail  signifies  falsity 
destroying  good  and  truth,  will  be  seen  below  ;  that  fire  means 
love  in  both  senses,  celestial  and  infernal,  may  be  seen,  n.  468 ; 
that  blood  means  the  divine  truth  of  the  Lord,  which  is  also 
the  Word,  and,  in  the  opposite  sense,  the  "Word  falsified,  n.  379. 
On  joining  these  together  into  one  sense,  it  is  plain,  that  by 
there  followed  hail  and  fire  mingled  with  blood,  is  signified 
falsity  from  infernal  love  destroying  good  and  truth,  and  falsi- 
fying the  Word.  This  is  signified,  because  such  things  appear 
in  the  spiritual  world  when  the  sphere  of  the  Lord's  divine  love 
and  divine  wisdom  descends  from  heaven  into  the  societies  be- 
low, where  falsities  derived  from  infernal  love  exist,  and  the 
AVord  is  falsified  thereby.  Hail  and  fire  together  have  a  like 
signification  in  the  following  places:  "At  the  brightness  that 
Avas  before  him  his  thick  clouds  passed,  hail-stones  and  coals  of 
fire:  and  the  Highest  gave  his  voice,  hail-stones  and  coals  of 
fire',  yea,  he  sent  out  his  arrows  and  scattered  them,"  Psalm 
xviii.  12 — 14.  "  And  I  will  plead  against  him  with  pestilence 
and  with  blood,  and  I  will  rain  npon  him  great  hail-stones^  fire^ 
ancl  brimstone,"  Ezek.  xxxviii.  22.  "  And  Jehovah  slmll  cause 
his  glorious  voice  to  be  heard, — and  with  \X\Qfiame  of  a  devour- 
ingjj/'e, — and  hall-stones^''  Isaiah  xxx.  30.  He  gave  them  hail 
for  rain,  ^\\([  fiaming  fire  in  their  land, — and  brake  the  trees  of 
their  c:asts,  Psalm  cv,  32,  33.  The  hail  smote  their  vine,  and 
their  sycamore  trees  with  m-ievous  hail,  and  their  cattle  with 
burning  coals  j  he  sent  in  the  burning,  of  his  anger  a  sending 
foi-th  of  evil  angels.  Psalm  Ixxviii.  47 — 49.  These  words  are 
a])plied  to  Egypt.  In  Moses  Ave  read  concerning  them,  that 
"  he  stretched  forth  his  rod,  and  Jehovah  gave  voices  and  hail ; 
and  there  was  hail  and  fire  together  walking  in  the  midst  of 
grievous  hail :  and  the  hail  smote  every  herb  of  the  field,  and 
brake  every  tree  of  the  field,"  Exod.  ix.  22 — 35.  All  the 
mii'acles  that  were  wrought  in  Egypt  signified  the  evils  and 
falses  derived  from  infernal  love,  which  prevailed  with  the 
Egyptians;  each  miracle  signifying  some  particular  evil  and. 

289  T 


400  THE    APOCALYPSE    KEYEALED.  [Cliap.   vill. 

fiilsity :  for  with  them  there  was  a  representative  church,  as  in 
like  manner  with  many  kingdoms  of  Asia,  hnt  it  became  iclohi- 
trous  and  magical ;  by  the  Red  Sea  is  signified  hell,  in  which 
at  last  they  perished.  Something  similar  is  signified  by  the 
hail-stones  by  which  more  of  the  enemy  perished  than  by  the 
sword.  Josh.  x.  11,  The  same,  also,  is  meant  by  hail  in  the 
following  places  :  "  Woe  to  the  crown  of  pride, — behold,  the 
Lord  hath  a  mighty  and  strong  one,  like  an  inundation  of  hail : 
and  the  hail  shall  sweep  away  the  refuge  of  lies,'"  Isaiah  xxviii. 

I,  2,  17.  "  When  it  shall  hail,  coming  down  on  the  forest," 
Isaiah  xxxii.  19.  "And  the  temple  of  God  was  oj^ened  in 
heaven, — and  there  were  lightnings,  and  voices,  and  thunder- 
ings,  and  an  earthquake,  and  great  hail,''''  Apoc.  xi.  19.  "  And 
there  fell  upon  men  a  great  hail  out  of  heaven,  about  the  weight 
of  a  talent,"  Apoc.  xvi.  21,  "Hast  thou  seen  the  treasures  of 
hail,  wdiich  I  have  reserved  against  the  day  of  battle  and  war?" 
Job  xxxviii.  22,  23.  "  Say  unto  them  which  daub  with  un- 
tempered  mortar,  that  it  shall  fall ;  there  shall  be  an  overflow- 
ing shower,  and  ye,  O  great   hail-stones,  shall  fall,"  Ezek.  xiii, 

II.  To  daub  with  untempered  mortar  means  to  confirm  falsity, 
to  make  it  aj)pear  like  truth ;  they  therefore  who  do  so  are 
called  hail-stones. 

400.  And  they  were  cast  u])on  the  earth,  and  the  third  part 
of  the  trees  was  burnt  up,  signifies  that  with  those  who  are  in 
the  internals  of  the  church  and  in  faith  alone,  every  affection 
and  perception  of  truth,  which  constitute  a  man  of  the  church, 
had  perished.  By  the  earth,  upon  which  were  cast  hail  and  fire 
mingled  with  blood,  is  signified  the  church  M^itli  those  who  are 
in  its  internals  and  in  faith  alone.  That  these  are  the  clergy, 
may  be  seen  above,  n.  398.  By  the  third  part  is  signified  all 
as  to  truth,  and  by  the  fourth  part,  all  as  to  good,  n.  322.  That 
by  three  is  signified  all,  full,  and  totally,  wull  be  seen  below, 
n.  505  ;  thence,  by  a  third,  which  is  a  third  part,  the  same  is 
signified.  By  being  burnt  up  is  signified  to  perish,  in  the  pres- 
ent case,  by  falsity  derived  from  infernal  love,  which  is  meant 
by  hail  and  fire  mingled  with  blood,  see  above,  n,  399.  By  a 
tree  is  signified  man  ;  and  as  man  is  man  by  virtue  of  afi'ection, 
wdiich  is  of  the  will,  and  by  virtue  of  perception,  which  is  of 
the  understanding,  therefore  these  also  are  signified  by  a  tree, 
riiere  is  also  a  correspondence  between  man  and  a  tree  ;  where- 
fore in  heaven  there  appear  paradises  of  trees,  which  correspond 
to  the  affections  and  consequent  perceptions  of  the  angels  ; 
and,  likewise,  in  some  places  in  hell  there  are  forests  of  trees, 
which  bear  evil  fruits,  correspondent  wntli  the  concupiscences 
and  consequent  thoughts  of  those  who  are  there.  That  trees  ia 
general  signify  men  as  to  their  affections  and  consequent  per- 
ceptions, may  appear  from  the  following  places  :  "  And  all  the 
trees  of  the  field  shall  knoWj  that  I  Jehovah  have  }>rought  down 
290 


V,  7J  TFTR    APOCALYPSE    RKVEALED.  401 

the  liiir;!!  irec^  have  exalted  the  low  tree^  have  dried  np  the 
green  tree^  and  have  made  the  dry  tree  to  flourish,"  Ezek.  xvii. 
2J:.  "  Blessed  is  the  man  that  trnsteth  in  Jehovah, — for  he 
shall  be  as  a  tree  planted  by  the  Avaters — neither  shall  cease 
from  yielding  fruit,  Jereni.  xvii,  7,  8.  "  Blessed  is  the  man 
M'hose  delight  is  in  the  law  of  Jehovah  ;  and  he  shall  be  like  a 
tree  planted  by  the  rivers  of  water,  that  bringeth  forth  fruit  in 
his  season,"  Bsalm  i.  3.  Praise  Jehovah,  ye  fruitful  trees^ 
Psalm  cxlviii,  9.  ''  The  trees  of  Jehovah  are  full  of  sap,"  Psalm 
civ.  16.  "And  now  also  the  axe  is  laid  at  the  root  of  the  trees, 
theref<ire  every  tree  which  bringeth  not  forth  good  fruit,  is  hewn 
down,"  Matt,  iii,  10;  vii.  16,  21.  "Either  make  the  tree  good 
and  its  fruit  good;  or  else  make  the  tree  corrupt  and  its  fruit 
corrupt:  for  the  tree  is  known  by  his  fruit,"  Matt.  xii.  33; 
Luke  vi.  43,  44.  "  Behold,  I  will  kindle  a  fire  in  thee,  and  it 
shall  devour  every  green  tree  and  every  dry  tree^"*^  Ezek.  xx.  47. 
Since  a  tree  signifies  man,  therefore  it  Avas  ordained,  that  the 
fruit  of  a  tree  serving  for  food  in  the  land  of  Canaan  should  be 
circumcised,  Levit.  xix.  23 — 25;  as  also,  when  any  city  is  be- 
sieged, they  shall  not  put  forth  an  axe  against  any  tree  with 
good  fruit.  Dent.  xx.  20,  21 ;  and  that  at  the  feast  of  tabernacles 
tiiey  should  take  fruit  of  the  tree  of  honour^  and  rejoice  before 
Jehovah,  Levit.  xxiii.  40,  41 ;  besides  other  passages,  which  are 
not  here  adduced  by  reason  of  their  abundance. 

401.  And  all  green  grass  was  hurnt  up,  signifies,  thus  all  that 
is  alive  in  faith.  By  being  burnt  is  signified  to  perish,  as  above, 
n.  400 :  by  green  grass,  in  the  Word,  is  signified  that  good 
and  truth  of  the  church  or  of  faith,  which  first  springs  up  in 
tlie  natural  man ;  the  same  also  is  signified  by  the  herb  of  the 
field  ;  and  because  faith  has  its  life  from  good  and  truth,  there- 
fore by  all  green  grass  being  burnt  up,  is  signified  that  every 
thing  alive  in  faith  has  perished  ;  and  every  thing  alive  in  faith 
perishes  when  there  is  no  affection  of  good  and  perception  of 
truth,  of  which  above.  This  signification  of  grass  is  also  oAving 
to  correspondence;  wherefore  they  who  separate  faith  from 
charity,  hot  only  in  doctrine  but  also  in  life,  in  the  spiritual 
world  live  in  a  desert,  where  there  is  not  even  grass.  As  a 
fruit-tree  signifies  man  as  to  the  aff^ections  of  good  and  percep- 
tions of  truth,  so  green  grass  signifies  man  as  to  that  principle 
of  the  church  which  is  first  conceived  and  also  born  in  him,  and 
grass  which  is  not  green  signifies  the  same  destroyed.  In  gene- 
ral all  things  wiiicli  grow  in  gardens,  woods,  fields,  and  plains, 
Bignify  man  as  to  something  of  the  church,  or  what  is  the  same, 
Bomething  of  the  church  in  him ;  the  reason  is,  because  they 
correspond.  That  grass  has  this  signification,  may  appear  from 
these  passages:  "The  voice  said,  Cr3\  And  he  said,  AVhat 
shall  I  cry?  All  flesh  is  grass, — the  grass  withereth,  and  the 
ilower  fadeth,  because  the  spirit  of  Jehovah  bloweth  upon  it: 
291 


402 404         THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.        [Chap.  viil. 

surely  the  people  is  grass.  The  p^ass  withereth  and  the  flower 
fadeth,  but  the  Word  of  our  God  shall  stand  for  ever,"  Isaiah 
xl.  5 — 8.  "  The  inhabitants  were  as  the  g7'ass  of  the  field.,  and 
as  the  green  Jierh.,  as  the  grass  on  the  house-tops.,  a  fiehl  blasted 
before  the  ccrn  is  grown  up,"  Isaiah  xxxvii.  27 ;  2  Kings  xix. 
26.  "I  will  pour  out  my  blessing  upon  thine  offspring,  and 
they  shall  spring  up  as  among  the  grass^''  Isaiah  xliv.  3,  4; 
and  in  other  places  ;  as  in  Isaiali  li.  12 ;  Psalm  xxxviL  2  ; 
Psalm  ciii.  15  ;  Psalm  cxxix.  6  ;  Dent,  xxxii.  2.  That  by  what 
is  green  or  flourishing,  is  signified  what  is  alive  or  has  life  in  it, 
is  evident  in  Jerem.  xvii.  8;  1.  11 ;  Ezek.  xvii.  24;  xxi.  3; 
Hosea  xiv.  9  ;  Psalm  xxxvii.  35  ;  Psalm  lii.  10;  Psalm  xcii.  11. 
The  same  as  what  is  here  described  in  the  Apocalypse  came  to 
pass  in  E^ypt,  for  by  hail  and  fire  mingled,  every  tree  and 
every  herb  (^  the  field  was,  burnt  up,  Exod.  ix.  29 — 35;  Psalm 
Ixxxviii.  47—49 ;  Psalm  cv.  32,  33. 

402.  And  the  second  angel  sounded.,  signifies  the  exploration 
and  manifestation  of  what  the  state  of  the  church  is  with  those 
who  are  exteriorly  in  that  faith.  That  to  sound  with  a  trumpet 
signifies  to  explore  and  make  manifest  the  state  of  the  church, 
and  thence  of  the  life  of  those  whose  religion  is  faith  alone, 
may  be  seen  above,  n.  397.  It  is  said  of  those  who  are  exte- 
riorly in  that  faith,  because  they  are  here  treated  of  who  are  in 
the  sea,  and  previously  they  were  treated  of  who  were  on  the 
earth  ;  and  by  these  latter  are  meant  such  as  are  in  the  inter- 
nals of  the  church,  who  are  the  clergy,  and  by  the  former  are 
meant  such  as  are  in  the  externals  of  the  church,  who  are  the 
laity,  as  may  be  seen  above,  n.  398,  who  in  the  spiritual  world 
appear  as  it  were  in  the  sea,  n.  238,  290. 

403.  And  as  it  were  a  great  mountain  huming  with  fire  was 
cast  into  the  sea,  signifies  the  appearance  of  infernal  love  with 
those  who  are  in  the  externals  of  the  church,  and  in  faith  alone. 
By  the  sea  is  signified  the  church  with  those  wlio  are  in  exter- 
nals, and  in  faith  alone ;  and  they  who  are  in  externals  are 
called,  in  common  language,  the  laity,  because  they  who  are  in 
internals  are  called  the  clergy,  n.  397,  402.  A  mountain  signi- 
fies love,  n.  336,  and  a  mountain  burning  with  fire  signifies 
infernal  love,  n.  494,  599 ;  this  is  the  appearance  of  this  love 
with  those  who  are  here  treated  of,  and  is  so  seen  by  the  angels  ; 
the  reason  is,  because  faith  alone  is  faith  separated  from  charity, 
n.  388  :  and  where  there  is  not  charity,  that  is,  love  towards  our 
neighbour,  which  is  spiritual  love,  there  is  infernal  love  ;  an  in- 
termediate love  does  not  exist  except  among  the  lukewarm, 
mentioned  in  Apoc.  iii.  15,  16. 

404.  And  the  third  part  of  the  sea  heca*ne  Mood,  signifies 
that  all  general  truths  with  them  were  falsified.  By  the  third 
part  is  signified  all,  n.  400  ;  by  blood  is  signified  tl^.e  falsification 
of  the  truth  of  the  Word,  n.  379 ;  by  the  sea  is  signified  the 

292 


V.  7 9.]  TflE    APOCALYPSE    REVEAXED,  405 

chnvch  wltli  those  who  are  in  its  externals,  and  in  faith  alone, 
n.  897,  402.  General  truths  are  falsitied  with  such  hecauso 
they  are  ]M'inci[)led  in  them  alone,  for  they  are  not  acquainted 
with  the  particulars  of  that  faith,  as  the  clero;y  are  ;  it  is  from 
the  general  truths  in  which  they  are  principled,  that  they  ap- 
pear as  in  a  sea,  in  the  spiritual  world ;  the  reason  is,  because 
waters  si2;nify  truths,  n.  50,  the  sea  being  their  general  recep- 
tacle, n.  238. 

4()5.  A}id  the  third  part  of  the  creatures  which  were  in  the 
sea  that  had  life,  died,  signifies  that  they  who  have  lived  and 
do  live  this  faith  cannot  be  reformed  and  receive  life.  By  the 
third  part  is  signified  all  of  them,  as  above  ;  by  creatures  are 
meant  those  who  are  capable  of  being  reformed,  n.  290  ;  the 
reason  is,  because  to  create  signifies  to  reform,  n,  254.  By 
having  lives,  is  signified  to  be  capable  of  receiving  life  by  refor- 
mation ;  by  their  death,  is  signified  that  they  wdio  live  that 
faith  alone  cannot  receive  life ;  the  reason  why  they  cannot,  is, 
because  all  are  reformed  by  faith  nnited  to  charity,  thus  by  the 
faith  of  charity,  and  no  one  by  faith  alone,  for  charity  is  the 
life  of  faith.  Since  the  affections  and  consequent  perceptions 
and  thoughts  of  spirits  and  angels,  in  the  spiritual  world, 
appear  at  a  distance  in  the  forms  of  animals  or  creatures  upon 
the  earth,  which  are  called  beasts,  of  creatures  in  the  air  which 
are  called  birds,  and  of  creatures  in  the  sea  which  are  called 
fishes,  therefore  in  the  "Word  mention  is  so  often  made  of 
beasts,  birds,  and  fishes,  by  which  nothing  else  is  understood ; 
as  in  these  passages  :  "  The  Lord  hath  a  controversy  with  the 
inhabitants  of  the  earth,  because  there  is  no  truth,  nor  mercy, 
nor  knowledge  of  God  in  the  land, — and  every  one  that  dwelleth 
therein  shall  languish  with  the  beasts  of  the  field,  and  with  the 
folds  of  the  heaven  ;  yea,  the  fishes  of  the  sea,  also,  shall  be 
taken  away,"  Hosea  iv.  1,  3.  "  I  will  consume  man  and  heast 
— tlie  fowls  of  the  heaven  and  the  fishes  of  the  sea,  and  the 
stumbling  bl-ocks  with  the  wicked,"  Zeph.  i.  3.  "  There  shall 
be  a  great  shaking  in  the  land  of  Israel,  so  that  the  fishes  of 
the  sea,  and.  the  fowls  of  the  heaven,  and  the  heast  of  the  fields 
— shall  shake  at  my  presence,"  Ezek.  xxxviii.  18 — 20.  "Thou 
madest  him  to  have  dominion  over  the  works  of  thy  hands; 
thou  hast  put  all  things  under  his  feet, — the  heasts  of  the  field, 
the  fowl  of  the  air,  and  the  fish  of  the  sea,  and  whatsoever 
passeth  through  the  paths  of  the  seas,"  Psalm  viii.  6 — 8  ; 
speaking  of  the  Lord.  "  But  ask, — now,  the  leasts,  and  they 
sliall  teach  thee  ;  and  the  fowls  of  the  air,  and  they  shall  tell 
thee  ; — and  the  fishes  of  the  sea  shall  declare  unto  thee.  "Who 
knoweth  not  in  all  these  that  the  hand  of  Jehovah  hath  wrought 
this  ?"  Job  xii.  7 — 9  ;  besides  many  other  places.  But  by 
fishes  or  creatures  of  the  sea,  are  here  meant  the  affections  and 
consequent  thoughts  of  those  inen  who  are  principled  in  genera.' 
298 


405  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED,  [Chap.  viii. 

truths,  aii(?.  are  therefore  more  attracted  by  what  is  natural  than 
bj  what  is  spiritual ;  these  are  understood  by  fishes  in  the  pas- 
sages above  cited,  and  also  in  the  lollowing :  "  Behold,  at  my 
rebuke  I  dry  up  the  sea,  I  make  the  rivers  a  wilderness  :  their 
fish  sinketh,  because  there  is  no  water,  and  dieth  for  thirst," 
Isaiah  1.  2.  "  The  king  of  Egypt  is  a  great  dragon  that  lieth 
in  the  midst  of  his  rivers,  which  hath  said, — My  river  is  mine 
own,  and  I  have  it  for  myself,  and  I  will  cause  the  fish  of  thy 
rivers  to  stick  to  thy  scales, — and  I  will  leave  thee  in  the 
wilderness,  thee  and  all  the  fish  of  thy  rivers,''''  Ezek.  xxix. 
3 — 5.  This  is  said  to  the  king  of  Egypt,  because  by  Egypt  is 
signified  M'hat  is  natural  separated  from  what  is  spiritual,  and 
therefore  by  the  fishes  of  his  rivers  are  meant  those  who  are  in 
doctrinals,  and  thereby  in  faith  separated,  which  faith  is  only 
science  ;  on  account  of  this  separation,  one  of  the  miracles  that 
were  performed  there  was  as  follows :  That  their  waters  were 
turned  into  blood,  and  that  thereby  the  fish  died,  Exod.  vii. 
17 — 25  ;  Psalm  cv.  29.  "Wherefore  dost  thou  make  man  as 
\h.Q  fishes  of  the  sea,  every  man  draweth  and  gathereth  into  the 
net,  Habak.  i.  14—16 ;  fishes  here  denote  those  who  are  in 
general  truths,  and  in  faith  separated  from  cliarity ;  but  fishes 
denote  those  who  are  in  general  truths  and  in  faith  conjoined 
with  charity,  in  Ezekiel :  He  said  unto  me,  "  Behold,  these 
waters  issued  from  under  the  thresh  3ld  of  the  house  eastward  ; 
— and  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  every  thing  that  li^^eth,  which 
moveth,  whithersoever  the  river  shall  come,  shall  live :  and  there 
shall  he  a  very  great  mult'ittide  of  fish  /  and  it  shall  come  to 
pass,  that  the  fishers  shall  stand  u])on  it  to  spread  forth  nets  ; 
their /?6A  shall  be  according  to  their  kinds,  exceeding  many  like 
the  fish  of  the  great  sea^''  xlvi.  1,  9,  10.  In  Matthew  :  Jesus 
said.  "  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  net  that  was  cast 
into  the  sea,  and  they  gathered  ^6^A^.«,  tlie  good  into  vessels,  but 
cast  the  bad  away,"  xiii.  47 — '49.  And  in  Jeremiah  :  "  I  will 
bring  again  the  children  of  Israel  into  their  land,  and,  behold, 
I  will  send  for  vai^w^^  fishers,  and  they  shall  fish  them,"  xvi.  15, 
16.  He  that  knows  therefore,  that  such  persons  and  things  are 
Bigniiied  by  fishes,  may  see  why  the  Lord  chose  fishers  for  his 
disciples,  and  said,  "  Follow  me,  and  I  will  make  yon  fishers  of 
men,"  Matt.  iv.  18,  19;  Mark  i.  16,  17.  That  "'the  disciples, 
by  the  blessing  of  the  Lord,  caught  a  great  multitude  oi  fishes, 
and  the  Lord  said  unto  Peter,  "  Fear  not,  from  henceforth  thou 
ohalt  catch  men^''  Luke  v.  2 — 10.  Why  the  Lord,  when  they 
would  have  required  tribute  of  him,  commanded  Peter  to  go  to 
the  sea,  and  draw  up  a  fish,  and  give  the  piece  of  money  found 
in  it  for  him  and  himself.  Matt.  xvii.  24 — 27.  "Why  the 
Lord,  after  his  resurrection,  gave  his  disciples  a  fish  and  bread 
to  eat,  John  xxi.  2 — 13  ;  and  commanded  them,  "  Go  ye  into 
all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature,''''  Mark 
294 


r.  9.j  TnE  APOCALYPSE  KEYEALKD.  406 

XYi.  15  ;  for  the  nations  whom  tlicy  conYcrtcd  were  only  prin- 
cipled in  general  truths,  or  in  natural  truth  more  than  in  spir- 
itual. 

400.  A7u7  fJie  third  part  of  the  ships  were  destroyed^  signi- 
fies that  all  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth  from  the  Word, 
serving  for  use  of  life,  were  destroyed  with  them.  The  third 
])art  siguities  all,  as  above,  n.  400,  404,  405  ;  sliips  signify  the 
knowledges  of  what  is  good  and  true  from  the  Word  serving 
for  use  of  life.  Ships  have  this  signification,  because  they 
traverse  the  sea,  and  bring  such  necessaries  as  are  of  nse  to 
the  natural  man  exclusively,  and  the  knowledges  of  good  and 
truth  are  the  necessaries  which  are  of  nse  to  the  spiritual  man, 
from  those  the  doctrine  of  the  church  is  derived,  and,  accord- 
A\i^  to  this  doctriue,  life.  Ships  signify  these  knowledges,  be- 
cause they  are  what  contain  things,  and  in  the  Word,  in  many 
]»laces,  the  thing  containing  is  taken  for  the  thing  contained,  as 
the  cup  for  the  wine  ;  the  platter  for  meat;  the  tabernacle  and 
the  temple  for  the  holy  things  in  them ;  the  ark  for  the  law ; 
the  altar  for  worship,  and  so  on.  Ships  signify  the  knowledges 
of  what  is  good  and  trne,  in  the  following  passages  :  "Zebnlon 
shall  dwell  at  the  haven  of  the  sea,  and  he  shall  be  for  an  haven 
of  shij)S,^^  Gen.  xlix.  13,  By  Zebnlon  is  meant  the  conjunc- 
tion of  good  and  truth.  O  Tyre,  the  "  builders  have  perfected 
thy  beauty,  they  luive  made  all  thy  ship-hoards  of  fir-trees  of 
Senir :  they  have  taken  the  cedars  from  Lebanon  to  make  masts 
for  thee ;  of  the  oaks  of  Bashan  have  they  made  thine  oars  ; 
tiiy  pole  have  they  made  of  ivory,  a  daughter  of  steps  from  the 
isles  of  Chittim  ;  the  inhabitants  of  Zidon  and  Arvad  were  thy 
7fiariners^  thy  wise  men  were  thy  pilots,  all  the  ships  of  the 
sea  and  their  mariners  were  in  thee  to  occupy  thy  merchan- 
dise ;  the  ships  of  Tarshish  did  sing  of  thee  in  thy  market  : 
and  thou  wast  replenished  and  made  very  glorious  in  the  midst 
of  the  seas,"  Ezek.  xxvii.  4 — 9,  25  ;  speaking  of  Tyre,  because 
by  Tyre,  in  the  Word,  is  signified  the  church  as  to  the  know- 
ledges of  truth  and  good,  as  may  appear  from  the  particulars 
mentioned  respecting  it  in  this  and  the  eighteenth  chapter,  when 
understood  in  a  spiritual  sense;  and  as  the  knowledges  of  the 
truth  and  good  of  the  church  are  signified  by  Tyre,  therefore  a 
ship  is  described  as  to  its  particulars,  and  by  each  is  signified 
some  quality  of  those  knowledges  conducive  to  intelligence  ; 
for  what  can  the  Word  have  in  common  with  the  ships  of  Tyre 
and  its  commerce?  Tlie  devastation  of  that  church  is  after- 
Avards  thus  described  :  "The  suburbs  shall  shake  at  the  sound 
of  the  cry  of  thy  pilots.  And  all  that  handle  the  oar,  the  mari- 
ners and  pilots  of  the  sea,  shall  corae  down  from  their  shivf^,  and 
shall  cry  bitterly,"  Ezek.  xxvii.  28 — 30  ;  as  also  in  Isaiali  xxiii. 
14,  15.  In  like  manner  the  devastation  of  Babylon  as  to  ali 
the  knowledges  of  truth,  is  described  in  what  follows  in  tho 
205 


iJ7 4.09  THE   APOCALYPSE    EEVEALED.  [Cliap.  viii. 

Apocalypse :  "  For  in  one  liour  so  great  riches  is  come  to 
nought,  and  every  sldp-tnaster^  and  all  the  company  in  sliijps^ 
and  mariners,  cried,  saying,  Alas,  alas,  that  great  city  (Baby- 
lon), wherein  were  made  rich  all  that  had  shij)^  in  the  sea," 
xviii,  17,  19  ;  see  the  ex23lanation  below.  B}"-  ships  are  also 
signified  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth  in  the  following 
passages :  "  Now  my  days  are  swifter  than  a  post,  they  flee 
away,  they  see  no  good.  They  are  passed  away  as  the  swift 
sMps,''^  Job  ix,  25,  26.  "  They  who  go  down  to  the  sea  in 
ships,  that  do  business  in  great  waters.  These  see  the  works  (f 
Jehovah,  and  his  wonders  in  the  deep,"  Psalm  cvii.  23,  24. 
"  Snrely  the  isles  shall  wait  for  me,  and  the  shij>s  of  Tarshish 
iirst,  to  bring  thy  sons  from  far,"  Isaiah  Ix.  9.  "  For  lo,  the 
kings  were  assembled,  they  passed  by  together.  Fear  took 
liold  upon  them  there.  Thou  breakest  the  shijps  of  Tarshish 
with  the  east  wind,"  Psalm  xlviii.  4,  7,  8.  Howl,  j  e  shijys  of 
Tarshish,  Isaiah  xxiii.  1,  14;  besides  other  places;  as  Numb. 
xxiv.  24 ;  Judges  v.  17  ;  Psalm  civ.  26  ;  Isaiah  xxxiii.  21. 

407.  And  the  third  angel  sounded,  signifies  the  exploration 
and  manifestation  of  the  church  with  those  whose  religion  is 
faith  alone,  what  they  are  as  to  the  aft'ection  and  reception  of 
truths  from  the  Word.  That  this  is  signified,  will  appear  from 
what  follows,  when  understood  in  a  spiritual  sense. 

408.  And  there  fell  from  heaven  a  great  star,  hurning  as 
it  were  a  lamp,  signifies  the  appearance  of  self-derived  intelli- 
gence from  a  pride  springing  from  infernal  love.  The  reason 
Avh}^  by  the  falling  from  heaven  of  a  great  star,  is  signified  the 
appearance  of  self-derived  intelligence  from  a  pride  springing 
from  infernal  love,  is,  because  it  was  seen  to  burn  as  a  lamp  ; 
and  because  the  name  of  it  was  Wormwood,  as  follows  ;  and 
by  a  star,  and  also  by  a  lamp,  is  signified  intellignce,  here 
self-derived  intelligence,  because  it  seemed  to  burn,  and  all 
self-deriv^ed  intelligence  burns  from  pride;  and  the  pride  of  it 
proceeds  fi-om  infernal  love,  which  is  signified  by  a  mountain 
burning  with  fire,  n.  403,  By  wormwood  is  signified  infernal 
falsity,  from  which  that  intelligence  exists,  and  of  which  it  is 
composed.  That  a  star  signifies  intelligence,  may  be  seen,  n. 
151,  954  ;  so  likewise  does  a  lamp  or  candle,  n.  796. 

409.  And  it  fell  upon  the  third  2>(irt  of  the  rivers,  and  upon 
the  fountains  of  waters,  signifies  tiiat  thence  all  the  truths  of. 
the  Word  were  totally  falsified.  By  rivers  are  signified  truths 
in  abundance,  because  by  waters  are  signified  truths,  n.  50  : 
and  by  fountains  of  waters  is  signified  the  Word,  n.  384. 
The  truths  of  the  Word  were  altogether  falsified,  because  it  is 
said  in  what  follows,  that  the  third  part  of  the  waters  became 
wormwood;  and  by  wormwood  is  signified  infernal  falsity,  n, 
410.  Ihat  rivers  signify  truths  in  abundance,  may  appear  from 
the  following  passages  :  •'  Behold,  I  will  do  a  new  thing ;  I  give 

296 


V.   9,  10.]         THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  409 

waters  in  flie  wilderness,  and  rivers  in  the  desert,  to  o:ive  drink 
to  mj  people,  my  chosen,"  Isaiah  xliii.  19,  20.     "For  I  will 
ponr  water  upon  hiin  that  is  thirsty,  and  rivers  upon  the  dry 
ground  ;  I  will  pour  my  s})irit  upon  thy  seed,  and  my  blessing 
upon  thine  oftspring,"  tsaiah  xliv.  3.     ''Then — shall  the  tongue 
ot"  the  dumb  sing,  for  in  the  wilderness  shall  waters  break  out, 
and  rivers  in  the^ desert,"  Isaiah  xxxv.  6.     "I  will  open  rivers 
in  high  places,  and  fountains  in  the  midst  of  the  valleys  :  I  will 
make  the  wilderness  a  i)Ool  of  waters,  and  the  dry  land  springs 
of  water,"  Isaiah  xli.  18.     Jehovah  hath  laid  the  foundations 
of  the  world  ''  upon  the  seas,  and  established  it  upon  the  rivers^''' 
Psalm  xxiv.  2.     "I  will  set  his  hand  also  in  the  sea,  and  his 
right  hand  in  the  7'ivers,^^  Psalm  Ixxxix.  25.     "  Was  Jehovah 
displeased  against   the  rivers  f  was   thine  anger    against    the 
rivers  ?  M'as  thy  wrath  against  the  sea,  that  thou  dost  ride  upon 
thine    horses?"    Ilabak.    iii.    8.      The  Wwr   whose    "streams 
shall  make  glad  the  city  of  God,"  Psalm  xlvi.  3—5.     "  And  he 
showed  me  a  pure  river  of  water  of  life  proceeding  out  of  the 
throne  of  God  and  the  Lamb,"  Apoc.  xxii.  1.     "  lie  clave  the 
rocks  in   the  wilderness,  and  gave  them  drink  as  out  of  the 
great  depths.     He  clave  the  rock,  and  rivers  gushed  out,"  Psalm 
Ixxviii.  15,  IG,  20;  Psalm  cv.  41.     "And  the  waters  shall  fail 
from  the  sea,  and  the  river  shall  be  wasted  and  dried  up,"  Isaiah 
xix.  5 — '7;  xlii.  15;  1.2;  Nahum  i.  4  ;  Psalm  cvii.  33 ;  Job  xiv. 
10,  11.     Jesus  said,  If  any  one  come  unto  me,  as  the  Scripture 
hath  said,  "  out  of  his  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of  living  waters," 
John  vii.  37,  38  ;  besides  other  places  ;  as  in  Isaiah  xxxiii.  21 ; 
Jerem,  xvii,  7,  8  ;  Ezek.  xxxi.  3,  4;  xclii.  1 — 12  ;  Joel  iii.  18  ; 
Zech.  ix.  10  ;  Psalm  Ixxx.  11  ;  Psalm  xciii.  3 — 5;  Psalm  xcviii. 
7,  8  ;  Psalm  ex.  7  ;  Numb,  xxiv,  6,  7  ;  Deut.  viii.  7.     But  that 
rivers,  in   an   opposite   sense,  signify  falscs  in  abundance,  may 
appear  from  these  passages  :  He  shall  send  ambassadors  in  the 
sea  to  the  "  nation  trodden  down,  whose  land  the  rivers  have 
spoiled,"  Isaiah  xviii.  2.     "  If  Jehovah  had  not  been  for  us, 
then  the  waters  had  overwhelmed  us,  and  the  river  had  gone 
over   our  soul,"  Psalm  cxxiv.  2,  4,   5.     "  When  thou  passest 
through  the  waters  I  M-ill  be  with  thee,  and  through  the  rivers, 
they  shall  not  overflow  thee,"  Isaiah  xliii.  2.     "  The  sorrows 
of  death  compassed  me,  and  the  rivers  of  ungodly  men  made  me 
afraid,"  Psalm  xviii.  4.      "  And   the  serpent  cast  out  of  his 
mouth  water  as  a  river  after  the  woman,  that  he  might  cause 
her  to  be  carried  away  of  the  river^''  Apoc.  xii.  15,  10.     "Be- 
hold, Jehovah  bringeth  up  upon  them  the  waters  of  the  river 
strong  and  many,  and  it  shall  overflow  and  go  over,  and  shall 
reach  even  to  the  neck,"  Isaiah  viii.  7,  8.     "  And  the  rivers 
came,  and  the  winds  blew  and  beat  upon  that  house,  and  it  fell 
not,  for  it  was  founded  upon  a  rock,"  Matt.  vii.  25,  27;  Luke 
vi.  48,  49  ;  here  also  rivers  denote  falses  in  abundance,  because 
297 


4:10,  411  THE    APOCALYPSE    KEVEALEB.  [('Jliap.    Viii. 

bj  a  rock  is  signified  tlie  Lord  as  to  divine  truth.  By  rivers  or 
floods  are  also  signified  temptations,  because  temptaiious  are 
inundations  of  falses. 

410.  And  the  name  of  the  star  is  called  Wormwood  ;  and  the 
third  part  of  the  waters  became  wormwood^  signifies  the  infernal 
falsity  from  which  their  self-derived  intelligence  is  derived,  and 
by  which  all  the  truths  of  the  Word  are  falsified.  By  a  star  is 
signified  self-derived  intelligence  springing  from  a  pride  in  in- 
fernal love,  n.  408;  by  name  is  signified  its  quality,  n.  81,  122, 
165 ;  by  wormwood  is  signified  infernal  falsity  concerning  which 
something  will  be  said  presently  ;  by  waters  are  signified  truths, 
n.  50  ;  here,  the  truths  of  the  Word,  because  the  subject  relates 
to  faith  ;  by  the  third  part  is  signified  all,  as  above  :  from  tliese 
particulars  taken  together  the  sense  results  as  delivered  above, 
^yormwood  signifies  infernal  falsity,  from  its  intense  bittei'iiess, 
whereby  it  renders  meat  and  drink  abominable  ;  such  falsity  is 
signified  therefore  by  wormwood,  in  the  following  passages  : 
"Behold,  I  will  feed  this  people  with  wormwood^  and  I  will 
give  tliem  water  of  gall  to  drink,"  Jerem.  ix.  14,  15.  "Thus 
saith  Jehovah  concerning  the  prophets  ;  Behold,  I  will  feed  them 
with  wormwood^  and  I  will  make  them  drink  the  water  of  gall ; 
for  from  the  prophets  of  Jerusalem  is  profaneness  gone  forth 
into  all  the  earth,"  Jerem.  xxiii.  15.  "Ye  who  turn  judgment 
ivio  gall,  and  the  fruit  of  righteousness  into  wormwood,''"'  Amos 
V.  7 ;  vi.  12.  "  Lest  there  should  be  among  you  a  root  that 
baareth  gall  and  wormwood^''  Deut.  xxix.  18.  Since  the  Jew- 
ish church  have  falsified  all  the  truths  of  the  Word,  like  the 
c  lurch  here  treated  of,  and  since  the  Lord  by  all  the  circum- 
stances of  his  passion  represented  the  same,  by  permitting  the 
Jews  to  treat  him  as  they  did  the  Word,  he  himself  being  the 
Word,  therefore  they  gave  him  vinegar  mingled  with  gall,  which 
is  like  wormwood,  but,  tasting  it,  he  would  not  drink.  Matt. 
xxvii.  34 ;  Mark  xv.  23  ;  Psalm  Ixix.  21.  As  this  was  the 
character  of  the  Jewish  church,  it  is  therefore  thus  described  : 
"  He  hath  filled  me  with  bitterness,  and  hath  made  me  drunken 
with  wormwood,^''  Lament,  iii.  15,  18,  19. 

411.  And  many  men  died  of  the  waters,  hecanse  they  were 
made  hitter,  signifies  the  extinction  of  spiritual  life  with  many 
from  the  falsified  truths  of  the  Word.  Many  men  died,  signifies 
extinction  of  spiritual  life  ;  for  man  from  the  spiritual  life  within 
him  is  called  alive,  but  from  natural  life  separated  from  spiritual 
life,  he  is  called  dead  ;  of  the  waters  because  they  were  made 
bitter,  signifies  by  the  falsified  truths  of  the  Word  :  that  waters 
mean  the  truths  of  the  Word,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  410.  The 
r*!ason  why  bitter  signifies  what  is  falsified,  is,  because  the  bittei 
of  wormwood  is  understood,  and  by  wormwood  is  signified  in- 
fernal falsity,  n.  410.  The  spiritnaUife  in  a  Christian  is  from  nc 
other  source  than  from  the  trutlis  of  the  Word,  for  in  tlicm  there 

298 


r,  10 12.]       THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.  412,  413 

is  life  ;  but  wlien  the  truths  of  tlic  AVord  arc  falsified,  and  man 
understands  and  views  thcni  accordino;  to  the  false  notions  of  his 
religion,  then  spiritual  life  in  him  is  extinguished;  the  reason  is, 
because  the  Word  communicates  with  heaven,  therefore  when  it 
is  read  by  man,  the  truths  therein  ascend  to  heaven,  and  the 
falses  to  which  truths  are  adjoined  or  conjoined,  tend  towards 
hell,  whence  there  is  a  rending  asunder,  w'hereby  the  life  of  the 
Word  is  extinguished.  But  this  is  the  case  only  with  those  who 
confirm  falses  by  the  AVord,  but  not  with  those  who  do  not  con- 
firm them.  I  have  seen  such  rendings  asunder,  and  have  heard 
the  noise  like  that  of  wood  split  by  fire  on  a  hearth.  Bitter  sig- 
nifies M-hat  is  fixlsified  also  in  the  following  places:  "  Woe  unto 
them  that  call  evil  good,  and  good  evil,  that  put  hitter  for  sweet, 
and  sweet  for  hitter^''  Isaiah  v.  20,  22.  "  They  shall  not  drink 
wine  with  a  song ;  strong  driidv  shall  be  hitter  to  them  that  drink 
it,"  Isaiah  xxiv.  9.  The  like  is  signified  by  the  little  book  that 
was  eaten,  which  was  sweet  in  the  mouth,  and  by  which  the  belly 
was  made  hitter^  Apoc.  x.  9, 10  ;  and  by  this  :  "  And  when  they 
came  to  Marah,  they  could  not  drink  of  the  waters,  for  they  were 
hitter  I  and  Jehovah  showed  him  a  wood,  which  when  he  had 
cast  into  the  waters,  they  were  made  sweet,"  Exod.  xv.  23 — 25. 
AVood,  in  the  AYord,  signifies  good.  The  same  is  also  signified 
by  the  wild  gourds*  which  were  put  into  the  pottage,  by  reason 
of  which  the  sons  of  the  prophets  cried  out.  There  is  death  in  the 
pot,  which  Elisha  healed  by  putting  in  meal,  2  Kings  iv.  38 — 
41.     Meal  signifies  truth  from  good, 

412.  And  the  fourth  angel  sounded,  signifies  the  exploration 
and  manifestation  of  the  state  of  the  church  with  those  wdiose 
religion  is  faith  alone,  as  being  in  the  evils  of  falsity,  and  in  the 
falsities  of  evil.  That  this  is  the  signification  of  these  words,  is 
evident  from  what  follows,  v.dien  understood  in  a  spiritual  sense. 
To  sound  signifies  here,  as  before,  n.  398,  402,  407,  to  explore 
and  make  manifest. 

413.  And  the  third  ^:)«r^  of  the  sun  was  smitten.,  and  the 
tJdrd part  of  the  7noon,  and  the  third pa7't  of  the  stars,  so  that 
the  third 2)a7't  oftliem  loas  darkened,  signifies  that  by  reason  of 
evils  from  falsities  and  of  falsities  from  evils,  they  did  not  know 
what  love  is,  or  what  faith  is,  or  any  truth.  By  the  third  part 
is  signified  all,  n.  400  ;  by  the  sun  is  signified  love,  n.  53  ;  by  the 
moon  is  signified  intelligence  and  faith,  n.  332  ;  by  stars  are  sig- 
nified the  knowledges  of  truth  and  good  from  the  AVord,  n.  51 ; 
by  being  darkened  is  signified  not  to  be  seen  and  known  by  reason 
of  evils  from  ialses  and  of  falses  from  evils.  Evils  from  falses  exist 
■with  those  wdio  assume  the  falses  of  religion,  and  confirm  thenz 
till  they  appear  as  truths,  and  when  tlwiy  live  according  to  them^ 
they  do  evils  from  falses,  or  the  evils  of  falsity  ;  but  falses  froir 

'  Colocyntliis — Sikindof  wild  gourd,  tbe  npi>le  of  wliich  is  called  Coloquintida 

299 


ilS  THE    APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Cllcip.  Viii- 

evils  exist  VvitL  tliose  wlio  do  not  consider  evils  as  sins,  and  still 
more  with  those  who  by  reasonings  from  the  natural  man,  and 
also  from  the  Word,  confirm  in  themselves,  that  evils  are  not 
sins,  such  confirmations  constitute  the  falses  from  evils,  and  are 
called  the  falses  of  evil.  That  such  is  the  signification  of  dark- 
ness follows,  because  light  signifies  truth,  and  the  extinction  of 
light  makes  darkness.  By  way  of  confirmation,  some  passages 
shall  first  be  adduced,  where  similar  th'.ngs  are  mentioned  as  are 
here  said  in  the  Apocalypse,  of  tlje  sun,  the  moon,  and  the  stars, 
and  of  the  darkness  consequent  upon  their  extinction  :  "  The  sun 
shall  be  turned  into  darhness^  and  the  moon  into  Mood^''  before 
the  great  and  terrible  day  of  Jehovah  cometh,  Joel  ii.  31.  "For 
the  stars  of  heaven  and  the  constellations  thereof  shall  not  give 
their  lights  the  sun  shall  he  darkened  in  his  going  forth,  and  the 
moon  shall  not  cause  her  light  to  shine,''''  Isaiah  xiii.  10.  "  And 
when  I  shall  jDut  thee  out  I  will  cover  the  heaven,  I  will  cover 
the  sun  with  a  cloud,  and  the  moon  shall  not  give  her  light,  all 
the  hright  lights  of  heaven  will  I  make  dark  over  thee,  and  set 
darkness  uj3on  thy  land,"  Ezek,  xxxii.  7,  8.  Tlie  day  of  Jehovah 
is  near ;  "  the  sun  and  the  moon  shall  he  hlack,  and  the  stars  shall 
withdraw  their  shining^''  Joel  ii.  10.  "  Immediately  after  the 
tribulation  of  those  days,5A«/^  the  sun  he  darkened,  and  the  moon 
shall  not  give  her  light,  and  the  stars  shall  fall  from  heaven^"* 
Matt.  xxiv.  29  ;  Mark  xiii.  SI,  25.  "Who  cannot  see,  on  ele- 
vatiug  his  mind,  that  in  these  places,  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars  of 
the  world  are  not  understood?  That  by  darkness  falses  of  various 
kinds  are  signified,  is  evident  from  the  following  passages :  "  Woe 
unto  you  that  desire  the  day  of  Jehovah !  it  is  darkness  and  not 
light ;  shall  not  the  day  of  Jehovah  be  darkness  and  not  light  ? 
even  very  dark,  and  no  brightness  in  it  ?"  Amos  v.  18,  20. 
"  The  day  of  Jehovah  is  a  day  of  darkness  and  gloominess,  a 
day  of  clouds  and  thick  darkness,''''  Zeph.  i.  15.  "And  in  that 
day  if  one  look  unto  the  land,  behold  darkness,  and  the  light  is 
darkened  in  the  heavens  thereof,"  Isaiah  v.  30;  viii.  22.  "For 
behold,  darkness  covereth  the  earth,  and  gross  darkness  the 
people,"  Isaiah  Ix.  2.  "Give  glory  unto  Jehovah  your  God, 
before  he  cause  darkness,  and  while  -ye  look  for  light,  he  make 
it  gross  darkness,''^  Jerem.  xiii.  16.  "  We  wait  for  light,  but 
behold  ohsGurity  ;  for  brightness,  but  we  walk  in  darkness  / — ■ 
we  stumble  at  noon-day  as  in  the  night;  we  are  in  desolate  places 
as  dead  men,"  Isaiah  Hx.  9,  10.  "Woe  unto  them — that  put 
darkness  for  light,  and  light  for  darkness,''''  Isaiah  v.  20.  "The 
people  that  walked  in  darkness  liave  seen  a  great  light,"  Isaiah 
ix.  2  ;  Matt.  iv.  16.  "  The  day-spring  from  on  high  hath  visited 
us,  to  give  light  to  those  who  sit  in  darkness  and  in  the  shadow 
of  death,"  Luke  i.  79.  "  And  if  thou  draw  out  thy  soul  to  the 
hungry,  then  shall  thy  lio-ht  rise  in  obscurity^  and  thy  darkness 
be  as  the  noon-dav,"  Isaiali  Iviii.  10.  "And  in  that  day — the  eyes 
300 


V.  12.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  41-1 

(if  the  liliiid  sliall  see  out  of  obscurity  and  out  of  darlcness,^''  Isaiah 
x.\ix.  18  ;  xlii.  10;  xlix.  9.  Jesus  said,  "1  ain  tlie  liglit  of  the 
M'orld  ;  he  tliat  folhnvetli  uie  sliall  not  walk  in  darl'ness,  but  sliall 
have  the  liii:ht  of  life,"  John  viii.  12.  "  AValk  while  ye  have  the 
hglit,  lest  darkness  come  upon  you :  I  am  come  a  liii^ht  into  the 
■\V(jrld,  that  whosoever  believeth  on  me,  should  not  abide  in  dao'h 
ness,^^  John  xii.  35,  4C.  "  When  I  sit  in  darhicss,  Jehovah 
bIuiU  be  a  light  to  me,"  Micah  vii,  8.  "  And  this  is  the  con- 
demnation, that  light  is  come  into  the  world,  and  men  loved 
darkfiess  rather  than  light,"  John  iii.  19  ;  i.  4,  5.  "  If,  there- 
fore, the  light  which  is  in  thee  be  dcwhncss,  how  great  is  the 
darl'ness''  Matt.  vi.  23;  Luke  xi.  34—36.  "But  this  is  your 
hour,  and  the  power  of  darkness,''^  Luke  xxii.  53.  By  darkness 
in  these  places  is  signified  i'alsity  proceeding  either  from  igno- 
rance of  the  truth,  or  from  a  false  principle  of  religion,  or  from  a 
life  of  evil.  Concerning  those  who  are  in  the  falses  of  religion, 
and  thence  in  evils  of  life,  the  Lord  says,  that  they  shall  be  cast 
into  outer  darkness^  Matt.  viii.  12  ;  xxii.  13  ;  xxv.  30. 

414.  And  the  day  shone  not  for  a  third  i)art  of  it.,  and  the 
night  likewise^  signifies  that  there  is  no  longer  any  spiritual 
truth  nor  natural  truth,  serviceable  for  doctrine  and  life,  from 
the  Word  with  them.  By  the  day  not  shining,  is  meant  that 
there  was  no  light  from  the  sun  ;  and  by  the  light,  in  like  man- 
ner, is  meant  that  there  was  no  light  from  the  moon  and  stars. 
By  light,  in  general,  is  signified  divine  truth,  which  is  truth  from 
the  Word  ;  by  the  light  of  the  sun,  divine  truth  spiritual;  and, 
i)y  the  light  of  the  nu^on  and  stars,  divine  truth  luitural,  both 
from  the  Word,  The  divine  truth,  in  the  spiritual  sense  of  the 
Word,  is  like  the  light  of  the  sun  by  day ;  and  the  divine  truth, 
in  the  natural  sense  of  the  Word,  is  like  the  light  of  the  moon 
and  stars  by  night ;  the  spiritual  sense  of  the  Word  also  flows 
into  its  natural  sense  as  the  sun  does  with  its  light  into  the  moon, 
which  gives  forth  the  light  of  the  sun  in  a  mediate  manner.  In 
the  same  way  does  the  spiritual  sense  of  the  Word  illumiiuite 
men,  even  those  who  know  nothing  at  all  concei-niug  it,  whilst 
they  read  the  Word  in  its  luitural  sense;  but  it  illuniiiuites  the 
spiritual  man,  as  the  sun's  light  does  the  eye ;  and  the  natu- 
ral man,  as  the  light  of  the  moon  and  stars  illumiiuite  his  eye. 
Every  one  receives  illumination  according  to  the  spiritual  affec- 
tion of  truth  and  good,  and  at  the  same  time  according  to  genuine 
truths,  by  which  he  has  opened  his  rational  faculty.  The  same 
is  understood  by  day  and  night,  in  the  following  passages  :  "  And 
God  said.  Let  there  be  liyJit  in  the  firnuiment  of  the  heaven,  to 
divide  the  day  from  the  night:  Aiid  God  made  two  great  llgJds, 
the  gvQuter  light  to  rule  the  day,  and  the  lesser  light  to  rule  the 
night;  he  made  the  stars  also  :  And  God  set  them  in  the  firma- 
ment of  the  heaven,  to  give  light  upon  the  earth,  and  to  rule  over 
the  dai/  and  over  the  night,  and  to  divide  the  liglit  from  the  dark 
301 


1:15,  416  THE    APOCALYPSE   KEVEALED.  [Clliip.  viii. 

ness,"  Gen.  i.  1-4 — 19.  Jehovali  made  great  lumii  aries,  "  tlie 
sun  to  rule  by  day,  the  ivoon  and  stars  to  rule  by  nigld,^''  Psalm 
cxxxvi.  7 — 9.  "The  day  (O  Jehovah)  is  thine,  tlie  iilijld  also 
is  thine;  thou  hast  prepared  the  light  and  the  sun,"  Psalm  Ixxiv. 
16,  "  Jehovali  giveth  the  sun  for  a  light  by  day^  and  the  ordi- 
nances of  the  moon  and  of  the  stars  for  a  light  by  nigld^''  Jerem , 
xxxi.  35.  "  If  ye  can  break  my  covenant  of  the  day  and  my 
covenant  of  the  nighty  and  that  there  shall  not  be  day  and  nigld 
in  their  season ;  then  may  also  my  covenant  be  broken  with 
David  my  servant :  If  my  covenant  be  not  with  day  and  night, 
and  if  I  have  not  appointed  the  ordinances  of  heaven  and  earth, 
then  will  1  cast  away  the  seed  of  Jacob  and  David  my  servant," 
Jerem.  xxxiii.  20,  21,  25,  26.  These  passages  are  adduced  for 
the  sake  of  showing  that  a  darkening  of  both  kinds  of  light  is 
meant. 

415.  And  Iheheld,  and  I  heard  an  angel  flying  in  the  midst  , 
of  heaven,  signifies  instruction  and  prediction  from  the  Lord. 
By  an  angel,  in  a  supreme  sense,  is  meant  the  Lord,  and  thence 
also  something  from  the  Lord,  n.  344  ;  and  by  flying  in  the 
midst  of  heaven  and  saying,  is  signified  to  perceive  and  under- 
stand, and  when  applied  to  the  Lord,  to  foresee  and  provide,  n. 
245  ;  but  here,  to  instruct  and  foretell. 

416.  Saying  loith  a  loud  voice.  Woe,  woe,  looe,  to  the  inhdbiters 
of  the  earth,  hy  reason  of  the  other  voices  of  the  trumpet  of  the 
three  angels  which  are  yet  to  sound,  signifies  deep  lamentation 
over  the  damned  state  of  those  in  the  church,  who  in  doctrine 
and  life  have  confirmed  themselves  in  faith  separated  from  char- 
ity. By  woe  is  signified  lamentation  over  the  evil  in  any  one, 
and  thence  over  his  unhappy  state ;  here,  over  the  damned  state 
of  those  who  are  treated  of  in  the  next  chapter,  and  afterwards; 
and  by  woe,  woe,  woe,  is  signified  extreme  lamentation  ;  for  tri- 
plication constitutes  the  superlative,  because  three  signifies  all 
and  full,  n.  505.  By  the  inhabiters  upon  earth,  are  meant  they 
who  are  in  the  church  where  the  Word  is,  and  the  Lord  known 
thereby :  that  earth  signifies  the  church  may  be  seen  above,  n. 
285.  By  the  voices  of  the  trumpet  of  the  three  angels  which 
are  yet  to  sound,  is  signified  the  exploration  and  manifestation 
of  the  state  of  the  church  and  of  life  with  those,  who  by  doc- 
trine and  life  have  confirmed  in  themselves  faith  se]"»arated  from 
charity,  over  whose  state  lamentation  is  made.  AV^oe  signifies 
lamen'tation  over  the  present  or  future  calamity,  unhappiness, 
or  damnation  of  others,  iu  these  passages :  "  Woe  unto  you, 
scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites!"  Matt,  xxiii.  13 — IT,  23,  25, 
27,  29.  "  Woe  unto  that  man  by  whom  the  Son  of  Man  is 
betrayed,"  Luke  xxii.  22.  Woe  unto  him  by  whom  scandals 
come^  Luke  xvii.  1.  Woe  unto  them  that  join  house  to  house. 
Woe  unto  them  tliat  rise  up  early  in  the  morning  that  they  may 
follow  strong  drink.     "  Woe  unto  them  that  draw  iniquity  with 

302 


V.  12,  13.J         Till':  APOCALYPSE  KKVEALKD.  417 

cords  of  vanity.  Woe  unto  them  that  call  evil  good.  Woe 
nnto  them  that  are  wise  in  their  own  eyes.  Woe  unto  tliem 
that  are  mighty  to  drink  wine,"  Isaiah  v.  8,  11,  18,  20 — 22 ; 
and  in  many  other  places. 

417.  To  the  above  1  will  add  this  Memorable  Relation.  I  saw- 
in  the  spiritual  M'orld  two  flocks,  one  of  goats,  and  the  other  of 
snEEP ;  1  wondt'red  who  they  Avcre,  for  I  knew  that  animals, 
seen  in  the  spiritual  world,  are  not  animals,  l)ut  correspond- 
ejices  of  the  atfections  and  consequent  thoughts  of  those  who 
are  there.  Wherefore  I  approached  towards  them,  and  as  1 
drew  near,  the  likenesses  of  animals  disappeared,  and  instead  of 
them  were  seen  men.  And  it  was  shown,  that  they  who  formed 
the  flock  of  goats,  were  those  who  had  conflrmed  themselves 
in  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith  alone;  and  they  \vho 
formed  the  flock  of  sheep,  weve  those  who  believed  that  char- 
ity and  faith  are  a  one,  as  good  and  truth  are  a  one.  And 
then  I  entered  into  discourse  Avith  those  who  had  been  seen  as 
goats,  and  said,  "  Why  are  you  thus  assembled  ?'*  They  con- 
sisted chiefly  of  clergy,  who  gloried  in  their  fame  for  erudition, 
because  tlie'y  knew  "the  arcana  of  justification  by  faith  alone. 
They  replied  that  they  were  assembled  to  sit  in  council,  because 
they  had  heard  that  what  is  said  by  Paul,  Ilom.  iii.  28,  that 
maji  is  justified  by  faith  without  the  works  of  the  law,  is  not 
right.y  understood,  because  Paul,  by  the  works  of  the  law, 
meant  the  works  of  the  Mosaic  law,  which  were  intended  for 
the  Jews ;  which  we  also  clearly  see  from  his  words  to  Peter, 
whom  he  rebuked  for  judaizinfji;,  when  yet  he  knew  that  no  one 
is  "justified  by  the  works  of  the  law,^^  Gal.  ii.  14 — 16;  as, 
also,  from  his  making  a  distinction  between  the  law  of  faith  and 
the  law  of  works  ;  and  between  Jews  and  Gentiles,  or  circum- 
cision and  uncircumcision,  meaning  by  cii-cumcision,  Judaism, 
as  everywhere  else ;  and  likewise  from  his  summing  up  with 
these  words :  "  Do  we  then  make  void  the  laio  through  faith  ? 
God  forbid ;  yea,  we  establish  the  law  /"  he  says  all  these  things 
in  one  series,  Ilom.  iii.  27 — 31 ;  and  further,  he  observes  in  the 
preceding  chapter:  "For  not  the  hearers  of  the  law  are  just 
before  God,  but  the  doers  of  the  law  shall  be  justified,"  Pom.  ii. 
13  ;  also,  that  God  "  will  render  to  every  man  according  to  his 
deeds^''  Rom.  ii.  6  ;  and  that,  "For  we  must  all  appear  before 
the  judgment-seat  of  Christ;  that  every  one  may  receive  the 
things  done  in  his  body,  whether  they  be  good  or  bad,"  2  Cor. 
v.  10 ;  besides  many  other  things  to  the  same  purpose,  from 
which  it  is  evident  that  Paul  rejects  faith  without  good  works, 
equally  with  James,  ii.  17 — 26.  That  the  works  of  the  Mosaic 
law,  which  were  for  the  Jews,  were  meant  by  Paul,  we  are  addi- 
tionally confirmed  n  by  this  consideration,  that  all  the  statutes 
for  the"  Jews  m  Moses  are  called  the  law,  thus  the  works  of  the 
303 


il7  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Chap.  viii. 

law,  wliicli  we  perceive  from  these  passages :  "  This  is  the  law 
of  the  meat-offering,"  Levit.  vi.  9,  and  following.  "This  is 
the  law  of  the  burnt-oifering,"  Levit.  vii.  1.  "  This  is  the  law 
of  the  peace-offering,"  Levit.  vii.  7,  11,  and  following.  "  This 
is  the  law  of  the  burnt-offering,  of  the  meat-offering,  of  the  sin- 
offering,  and  of  the  trespass-offering,  of  the  consecrations," 
Levit.  vii.  37.  "  This  is  the  laio  of  tlie  beasts  and  of  the  fowl," 
Levit,  xi.  46,  and  following.  "This  is  the  law  for  her  that 
hath  borne  a  male  or  a  female,"  Levit.  xii.  7.  "  Tliis  is  tho 
law  of  the  plague  of  leprosy,"  Levit.  xiii.  59;  xiv.  2,  32,  54,  57. 
"This  is  the  law  of  him  that  hath  an  issue,"  Levit.  xv.  32. 
"  This  is  the  law  of  jealousies,''  Numb.  v.  29,  30.  This  is  the 
Into  of  the  Nazarite,  Numb.  vi.  13,  21.  This  is  the  law  of 
purification,  Numb.  xix.  14.  This  is  the  law  concerning  the 
red  heifer,  Numb.  xix.  2.  The  laio  for  the  king,  Deut.  xvii. 
15 — 19.  Yea,  the  whole  Book  of  Moses  is  called  "the  Book 
of  the  Laio^'  Deut.  xxxi.  9, 11,  12,  26  ;  also  in  the  Evangelists, 
Luke  ii.  22;  xxiv.  44;  John  i.  45;  vii.  22,  23;  viii.  5;  and 
other  places.  To  this  they  added,  also,  what  they  had  seen  in 
Paul,  that  the  law  of  the  Decalogue  was  to  be  practised  in  the 
very  life,  and  that  it  is  fulfilled  by  charity,  which  is  love  towards 
the  neighbour,  Rom.  xiii.  8 — 10 ;  thus  not  by  ftiith  alone. 
Tliey  affirmed  that  this  was  the  reason  of  their  being  convened 
together.  But  that  I  might  not  disturb  them,  I  retired ;  upon 
which  they  again  appeared,  at  a  distance,  like  goats,  and  some- 
times as  lyiug  down,  and  at  others  as  standing ;  but  they  turned 
themselves  away  from  the  flock  of  sheep  :  they  appeared  as  if 
they  were  lying  down,  when  deliberating,  but  as  standing  up, 
when  they  came  to  a  conclusion.  But,  keeping  my  eyes  fixed 
upon  their  horns,  I  was  surprised  to  see  that  the  horns  upon 
their  foreheads  sometimes  appeared  to  extend  forward  and  up- 
ward, then  to  be  bent  backward,  and  at  last  to  be  thrown  back 
entirely  ;  upon  which  they  all  suddenly  turned  round  to  the 
flock  of  sheep,  but  still  appeared  as  goats ;  wherefore  I  drew 
near  to  them  again,  and  inquired,  "  What  now  ?"  They  replied, 
tliat  they  had  come  to  this  conclusion,  that  faith  alone  produces 
tlie  goods  of  charity,  which  are  called  good  works,  as  a  tree 
produces  fruit.  But  then  thunder  was  heard,  and  lightning 
seen  from  above  ;  and  presently  there  appeared  an  angel,  stand- 
in.g  between  the  two  flocks,  who  cried  to  the  flock  of  sheep,  "  Do 
not  give  ear  to  them ;  they  have  not  receded  from  their  former 
faith,  which  is,  that  God  the  Father  hath  compassion  for  the 
sake  of  the  Son ;  which  faith  is  not  faith  in  the  Lord  ;  neither 
is  faith  a  tree,  but  num  is  a  tree  ;  but  do  the  work  of  repentance, 
and  look  to  the  Lord,  and  you  will  have  faith  ;  faith  before  that, 
is  not  a  faith  in  which  there  is  any  life."  Then  the  goats, 
whose  horns  were  directed  backward,  approached  the  sheep ; 
but  the  angel  standing  betwef;n  them,  divided  the  sheep  intc 
304 


Chap.  viii.J  the  apocalypse  revealed.  418 

two  flocks,  and  said  to  those  on  the  left,  "  Join  yourselves  to 
the  goats ;  bnt  I  must  tell  you,  that  a  M'olf  will  come,  which 
will  snatch  them  away,  and  you  along  with  them." 

418.  But  alU'i-  the  two  flocks  of  sheep  liad  separated,  and  they 
on  the  left  hand  liad  heard  the  threatening  words  of  the  angel, 
they  looked  at  one  another,  and  said,  "  Let  us  confer  with  our 
former  associates ;"  and  then  the  left-liand  flock  spake  to  the 
right,  saying,  "  Why  liave  you  receded  from  your  j^astors  ?  are 
not  faith  and  charity  a  one,  as  a  tree  and  its  fruit  are  one  ?  for 
the  tree  by  its  branch  is  continued  unto  the  fruit;  take  away 
any  thing  from  the  branch  which  flows  by  continuity  into  the 
fruit,  and  M'ill  not  the  fruit  perish?  ask  our  i)riests  if  it  is  not 
so,"  And  upon  their  putting  the  question,  the  priests  looked 
round  to  the  rest,  wlio  made  signs  with  their  eyes  to  intimate 
that  they  had  spoken  correctly,  and  then  they  replied  that  it 
was  ; — faith  is  preserved  by  the  fruit ; — but  they  would  not  say 
faith  is  continued  into  the  fruit.  One  of  the  priests,  who  was 
amo!ig  the  sheep  on  the  right-hand,  then  got  up,  and  said, 
"They  have  told  you  that  it  is  so,  but  they  have  told  their  com- 
panions that  it  is  not  so;  for  they  think  otherwise."  AVhere- 
fore  they  inquired,  ''  How  do  they  think,  then, — do  they  not 
think  as  they  teach?"  lie  said,  ''No;  they  think  that  every 
good  of  charity,  wliicli  is  called  a  good  work,  done  by  man  for 
the  sake  of  salvation  or  eternal  life,  is  not  good  bnt  evil,  by 
reason  that  man  desires  to  save  liimself  by  his  own  works,  by 
claiming  to  himself  the  righteousness  and  merit  of  the  only 
Saviour  ;  and  that  it  is  so  with  every  ^ood  work,  in  which  man 
feels  his  own  will ;  therefore  among  themselves  they  call  good 
works  from  man,  not  blessed,  but  cursed  ;  and  say  that  they 
merit  hell  rather  than  heaven."  But  the  flock  on  the  left-hand 
said,  "Yon  speak  falsehoods  against  them;  do  they  not  mani- 
festly preach  to  us  charity  and  its  works,  which  they  call  works 
of  faith  manifested  before  us  ?"  He  replied,  "  You  do  not 
understand  their  discourses  ;  no  one  but  a  clergyman,  who  may 
be  present,  does  attend  to  and  understand  them ;  they  think 
only  of  moral  charity,  and  its  civil  and  political  goo<;ls,  which 
they  call  the  goods  of  faith,  which  j'et  are  not  at  all  so;  for  a 
man  may  be  an  atheist,  and  perform  these  works  in  the  same 
manner,  and  under  the  same  form ;  wherefore  they  are  unani- 
mous in  saying  that  no  one  is  saved  by  works  at  all,  but  by 
faith  alone ;  but  this  shall  be  illustrated  by  comparisons.  An 
apple-tree  bears  apples  ;  but  if  a  man  does  what  is  good  for  the 
sake  of  salvation,  as  the  tree  ])roduces  apples  by  continuity, 
then  those  apples  are  rotten  within,  and  full  of  worms.  They 
say,  also,  that  a  vine  produces  grapes  ;  but  that  if  a  man  were 
lo  bring  forth  spiritual  goods  as  a  vine  does  grapes,  he  M'ould 
bring  forth  wild  grapes."  But  then  they  asked,  "What  is  the 
nature  of  their  goods  of  charity  or  works,  which  are  the  fruits 
305  u 


i:18  THE    APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Cliap.  viii. 

of  faith?"  He  replied,  "They  are  invisible,  being  inwardly  in 
man  from  the  Holy  Spirit,  concerning  which  man  knows  no- 
thing." Bnt  they  said,  "If  man  knows  nothing  concerning 
them,  there  must  surely  be  some  conjunction,  or  how  could 
they  be  called  works  of  faith  ?  perhaps  those  insensible  goods 
are  then  insinuated  into  the  voluntary  works  of  man  by  somo 
mediating  influx,  as  b}'  some  affection,  aspiration,  inspiration, 
incitement  and  excitement  of  the  Vv^U ;  or  by  some  tacit  per- 
ception in  thought  and  consequent  exhortation,  contrition,  and 
thus  by  conscience,  and  thence  by  impulse  and  obedience  to 
the  Decalogue  and  the  Word,  as  an  infant,  or  as  a  wnse  man, 
or  by  something  else  of  a  similar  nature."  But  he  replied, 
"No !  and  if  they  say  it  is  effected  by  such  means  because  by 
faith,  still  they  word  their  discourses  in  such  a  manner  as  that 
the  result  after  all  is,  that  they  do  not  proceed  from  faith  y 
some,  however,  do  maintain  such  things,  though  as  the  signs  of 
faith,  but  not  as  the  ties  thereof  with  charity.  Some  have 
nevertheless  thought  of  a  conjunction  by  the  Word.  Is  there 
not  thus  conjunction,"  said  they,  "when  man  voluntarily  acts 
according  to  the  Word  ?"  But  he  replied,  "  This  is  not  what 
they  think ;  they  ascribe  it  to  the  hearing  the  AYord,  thus  not 
to  the  understanding  of  the  Word,  lest  any  thing  should  mani- 
festly enter  by  the  understanding  into  the  thought  and  will  of 
man  ;  since  they  assert  that  every  thing  voluntary  in  man  is 
meritorious,  and  that,  in  spiritual  things,  man  cannot  begin, 
will,  think,  imderstand,  believe,  operate  and  co-operate  any 
thing,  any  more  than  a  stock :  but  yet  it  is  different  with  the 
influx  of  the  Holy  Spirit  by  faith  into  the  speech  of  the  preacher, 
because  these  are  acts  of  the  mouth,  and  not  acts  of  the  body ; 
likewise  because  man  acts  by  faith  with  God,  but  by  charity 
with  men."  But  when  one  of  them  heard  that  it  was  done 
merely  by  hearing  the  Word,  and  not  by  understanding  the 
Word,  he  said,  witli  indignation,  "  Is  this  effect  produced  then 
by  the  understanding  of  the  Word, — by  the  Holy  Spirit  alone, 
whilst  man,  throughout  the  church  service,  turns  himself  away, 
or  sits  as  deaf  as  a  post,  or  sleeps,  or  as  merely  feeling  an  exha- 
lation from  the  Bible?  What  can  be  more  ludicrous?"  After 
this,  a  certain  man  of  the  flock  on  the  right-hand,  who  excelled 
the  rest  in  judgment,  requested  to  speak,  and  said,  "I  heard  a 
certain  person  say,  '1  have  planted  a  vineyard,  now  will  I  drink 
wine  even  to  intoxication.'  But  another  asked,  'Do  you  mean 
to  drink  the  wine  out  of  your  own  cup  with  your  own  right 
iiand?'  And  he  said,  'No!  but  out  of  an  invisible  cup  from  an 
invisible  hand.'  And  the  other  replied,  '  Of  a  certainty  then 
vou  will  not  be  intoxicated.'  Presently  the  same  man  said, '  But 
Iiear  me,  I  beseech  you ;  I  say  unto  you,  di-ink  wine  from  the 
Word  understood;  do  you  not  know  that  the  Lord  is  the  Word? 
is  not  the  Word  from  the  Lord  ?  is  he  not  therefore  in  it ;  if 
306 


Chap,  ix.]  THE  apocalypse  kevealed.  418 

then  yon  do  good  from  the  Word,  do  you  not  do  it  from  tlie 
Lord, — from  his  moutli  and  M'ill?  and  if  you  at  the  same 
time  look  to  the  Lord,  lie  will  also  lead  you,  and  will  cause 
you  to  do  it,  and  this  he  will  do  through  you,  and  you  as 
from  yourselves.  Wlio  can  say,  wlien  doing  any  thing  by  the 
authority  of  a  king,  of  liis  word  and  will,  I  do  this  from  myself, 
from  my  own  mouth  or  command,  and  from  my  own  will?'' 
After  this  he  turned  to  the  clergy,  and  said,  "  Ye  ministers  of 
God,  seduce  not  the  flock."  On  hearing  these  things,  the 
greater  part  of  the  flock  on  the  left-hand  receded,  and  joined 
themselves  to  the  flock  on  the  right ;  some  of  the  clergy  also 
then  said,  "  We  have  heard  what  we  did  not  know  before  ;  we 
are  pastors  ;  we  will  not  leave  the  sheep."  And.  they  receded 
along  with  them,  and  said,  "-That  man  spoke  a  true  word  : 
who  can  sa^',  when  lie  does  any  thing  from  the  Word,  thus  from 
tlie  Lord,  from  his  will  and  command,  I  do  this  from  myself? 
Who  that  does  any  thing  from  the  will  and  command  of  a  king, 
says,  I  do  this  from  myself?  Now  we  see  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence, why  a  conjunction  of  faith  and  works  has  not  been  dis- 
covered, which  the  body  of  ecclesiastics  might  acknowledge  ; 
It  could  not  be  discovered,  because  no  such  conjunction  can 
i'xist ;  for  theirs  is  not  a  faith  in  the  Lord,  who  is  the  Word, 
and  therefore  neither  is  it  a  faith  from  the  Word."  But  the 
other  priests  went  away,  flourishing  their  caps,  and  crying  out, 
'  Faith  alone  !  faith  alone  for  ever,  notwithstanding !" 


CHAPTER  IX. 


1.  And  the  fifth  angel  sounded,  and  I  saw  a  star  fall  from 
heaven  unto  the  earth :  and  to  him  was  given  the  key  of  the 
bottomless  pit. 

2.  And  he  opened  the  bottomless  pit;  and  there  ai'ose  a 
smoke  out  of  the  pit,  as  the  smoke  of  a  great  furnace :  and 
the  sun  and  the  air  were  darkened  by  reason  of  the  smoke  of 
the  pit. 

3.  And  there  came  out  of  the  smoke  locusts  upon  the 
earth :  and  unto  them  was  given  power,  as  the  scorpions  of  the 
earth  have  power. 

4.  And  it  M'as  commanded  them  that  they  should  not  hurt 
the  grass  of  the  earth,  neither  any  green  tiling,  neither  any 
tree ;  but  only  those  men,  who  had  not  the  seal  of  God  in 
tlieir  foreheads. 

5.  And  to  them  it  was  given  that  they  should  not  kill 
them,  but  that  they  should  be  tormented  live  months :   and 

307 


THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.        [Chap,  ix 

their  torment  was  as  the  torment  of  a  scorpion  when  he  striketh 
a  man. 

6.  And  in  those  days  shall  men  seek  death,  and  shall  not 
find  it ;  and  shall  desire  to  die,  and  death  shall  flee  from  them. 

Y.  And  the  shapes  of  the  locusts  were  like  unto  horses  pre- 
pared unto  battle :  and  on  their  heads  were  as  it  were  crowna 
like  gold,  and  their  faces  were  as  the  faces  of  men. 

8.  And  they  had  hair  as  the  hair  of  women,  and  their  teeth 
were  as  the  teeth  of  lions. 

9.  And  they  had  breast-plates,  as  it  were  breast-plates  of 
iron  ;  and  the  sound  of  their  wings  was  as  the  sound  of  chariots 
of  many  horses  running  to  battle. 

10.  And  they  had  tails  like  unto  scorpions ;  and  there  were 
stings  in  their  tails :  and  their  power  was  to  luirt  men  live 
months. 

11.  And  they  had  a  king  over  them,  the  angel  of  the  bottom- 
less pit;  whose  name  in  the  Hebrew  tongue  is  Abaddon,  but  in 
the  Grreek  tongue  he  hath  his  name  Apollyon. 

12.  One  woe  is  past ;  behold,  there  come  two  woes  more 
hereafter. 

13.  And  the  sixth  angel  sounded  :  and  I  heard  a  voice  from 
the  four  horns  of  the  golden  altar  which  is  before  God, 

14.  Saying  to  the  sixth  angel  who  had  the  trumpet.  Loose 
the  four  angels  that  are  bound  at  the  great  river  Euphrates. 

15.  And  the  four  angels  were  loosed ;  who  were  prepared 
for  an  hour,  and  a  day,  and  a  month,  and  a  year,  to  slay  the 
third  part  of  men. 

16.  And  the  number  of  the  armies  of  horsemen  were  two 
myriads  of  myriads :  and  I  heard  the  number  of  them. 

17.  And  thus  I  saw  the  horses  in  the  vision,  and  them  that 
sat  on  them,  having  breast-plates  of  fire,  and  of  jacinth,  and 
of  brimstone :  and  the  heads  of  the  horses  were  as  the  heads 
of  lions :  and  out  of  their  mouths  issued  fire,  and  smoke,  and 
brimstone. 

18.  By  these  three  was  the  third  part  of  men  killed,  by  the 
fire,  and  by  the  smoke,  and  by  the  brimstone,  which  issued  out 
of  their  mouths. 

19.  For  their  power  is  in  their  mouth :  for  their  tails  were 
like  unto  serpents,  and  had  heads,  and  with  them  they  hurt. 

20.  And  the  rest  of  the  men  who  were  not  killed  by  these 
plagues,  yet  repented  not  of  the  works  of  their  hands,  that 
they  should  not  worship  demons,  and  idols  of  gold,  and  silver, 
and  brass,  and  stone,  and  wood ;  which  neither  can  see,  nor 
hear,  nor  walk : 

21.  Neither  repented  they  of  their  murders,  nor  of  theii 
sorceries,  nor  of  their  fornication,  nor  of  their  thefts. 


308 


Chap,  ix.]  THE    APOCALYPSE   REVEALED. 


THE  SPIRITUAL  SENSE. 

The  Contexts  of  the  whole  Chapter.  Of  the  exploration 
and  manifestation  of  the  states  of  life  of  those  in  the  reformed 
church,  who  are  called  learned  and  wise  from  the  confirmation 
of  faith  separated  from  charity,  and  of  jiistilication  and  salva- 
tion b}''  it  alone ;  these  are  treated  of  from  verse  1 — 13.  Of 
the  exploration  and  manifestation  of  those  therein,  who  are  no. 
80  learned  and  wise,  and  are  in  faith  alone,  and  who  live  as  they 
like ;  from  vei*se  13 — 20.  Lastly,  of  those  therein,  who  know 
nothing  hut  that  faith  is  the  all  by  which  man  is  saved,  and  not 
any  thing  besides,  verses  20,  21. 

The  Contents  of  each  Verse.  Y.  1,  "  And  the  fifth 
angel  sounded,"  signifies  the  exploration  and  manifestation  of 
the  states  of  life  of  those  in  the  reformed  church,  who  are 
called  learned  and  wise  from  their  confirmation  of  faith  sepa- 
rated from  charity,  and  of  justification  and  salvation  by  it 
alone :  "  And  I  saw  a  star  fall  from  heaven  unto  the  earth," 
signifies  divine  truth  spiritual  flowing  from  heaven  into  the 
cliurch  as  existing  with  such  persons,  and  eflfecting  exploration 
and  manifestation:  "And  to  him  was  given  the  key  of  the  bot- 
tomless i)it,"  signifies  the  opening  of  their  hell :  v.  2,  "  And 
lie  opened  the  bottomless  pit,  and  there  arose  a  smoke  out  of 
the  pit,  as  the  smoke  of  a  great  furnace,"  signifies  the  falses 
of  the  concupiscences  of  the  natural  man  springing  forth  from 
their  evil  loves:  "And  the  sun  and  the  air  were  darkened  by 
reason  of  tiie  smoke  of  the  pit,"  signifies  that  thereby  the 
light  of  truth  was  turned  into  thick  darkness :  v.  3,  "  And 
there  came  out  of  the  smoke  locusts  upon  the  earth,"  signifies 
that  from  them  were  derived  falses  to  the  extreme  or  lowest  de- 
grees, such  as  prevail  with  those  who  have  become  sensual,  and 
see  and  judge  of  all  things  by  the  senses  and  their  fallacies: 
"And  unto  them  was  given  power,  as  the  scorpions  of  the  earth 
have  power,"  signifies  the  power  of  persuading  that  their  falses 
are  ti'uths :  v.  4,  "  And  it  was  commanded  them  that  they 
should  not  hurt  the  grass  of  the  earth,  neither  any  green  thing, 
neither  any  tree ;  but  only  those  men  who  had  not  the  seal  of 
God  in  their  foreheads,"  signifies  the  divine  providence  of  the 
Lord,  that  they  should  not  be  able  to  take  away  any  truth  and 
good  of  faith,  nor  any  affection  and  perception  of  them,  from 
any  others  than  such  as  are  not  in  charity  and  thence  not  in 
faith :  v.  5,  "  And  to  them  it  was  given  that  they  should  not 
kill  them,  but  that  they  should  be  tormented  five  months,"  sig- 
nifies that  neither  from  these  should  they  be  able  to  take  away 
the  faculty  of  understanding  and  willing  truth  and  good,  but 
that  they  should  only  be  able  to  bring  on  stupor  for  a  short 
time :  "  And  their  torment  was  as  the  torment  of  a  scorpion 
309 


THE   APOCALYPSE   KEVEALED.  FCliap.  ix. 

Mhen  he  striketh  a  man,"  signifies  that  this  is  fron  their  per- 
suasive power:  v.  6,  "And  in  those  days  shall  men  seek  death, 
and  shall  not  find  it ;  and  shall  desire  to  die,  and  death  shall 
flee  from  them,"  signifies  that  it  is  their  desire  that,  in  mat- 
ters of  faith,  the  understanding  should  be  shut  up  and  the  will 
closed,  by  which  means  spiritual  light  and-  life  are  extinguished, 
and  that  yet  this  cannot  be  done :  v.  7,  "  And  the  shapes  of  the 
locusts,"  signifies  the  form  and  appearance  of  those  who  have 
confirmed  in  themselves  faith  separated  from  charity :  "  Were 
like  unto  horses  prepared  unto  battle,"  signifies  that  because 
they  can  reason,  tliey  appear  to  themselves  to  combat  from  the 
understanding  of  truth  from  the  "Wo I'd :  "And  on  their  heads 
were  as  it  were  crowns  like  gold,"  signifies  tliat  they  appeared 
to  themselves  as  conquerors  :  "  And  their  faces  were  as  the 
faces  of  men,"  signifies  that  they  appeared  to  themselves  to  be" 
wise :  ^  8,  "  And  they  had  hair  as  the  hair  of  women,"  signi- 
fies that  they  appeared  to  themselves  to  be  in  the  afiection  of 
truth :  "  And  their  teeth  were  as  the  teeth  of  lions,"  signifies 
that  sensual  things,  which  are  the  ultimates  of  the  life  of  the 
natural  man,  appeared  with  them  to  have  power  over  all  things  : 
V.  9,  "And  they  had  breast-plates,  as  it  were  breast-plates  of 
iron,"  signifies  that  argumentations  from  fallacies,  by  which 
they  fight  and  prevail,  appeared  to  them  so  powerful  that  they 
could  not  be  refuted :  "  And  the  sound  of  their  wings  was  as 
the  sound  of  chariots  of  many  horses  running  to  battle,"  sig- 
nifies their  reasonings  as  if  they  were  from  truths  of  doctrine 
from  the  Word  fully  understood,  for  which  they  must  ardently 
fight :  V.  10,  "  And  they  had  tails  like  unto  scorpions,"  signi- 
fies the  truths  of  the  Word  falsified,  by  means  of  which  they 
induce  stupor :  "  And  there  were  stings  in  their  tails,  and  their 
power  was  to  hurt  men  five  months,"  signifies  subtile  falsifica- 
tions of  the  AVord,  by  which  for  a  short  time  they  darken  and 
fascinate  the  understanding,  and  thus  deceive  and  captivate : 
V.  11,  "  And  they  had  a  king  over  them,  the  angel  of  the 
bottomless  pit,  whose  name  in  the  Hebrew  tongue  is  Abaddon, 
but  in  the  Greek  tongue  he  hath  his  name  ApoUyon,"  signifies 
that  they  are  in  the  satanic  hell  who  are  in  falses  from  concupis- 
cences, and  by  a  total  falsification  of  the  Word  have  destroyed 
the  church:  v,  12,  "  One  woe  is  past;  behold,  there  come  two 
woes  more  hereafter,"  signifies  further  lamentations  over  the 
state  of  the  church. 

Y.  13.  "And  the  sixth  angel  sounded,"  signifies  the  explo- 
rati-on  and  manifestation  of  their  state  of  life  in  the  reformed 
church  who  are  not  so  wise,  and  yet  place  the  all  of  religion  in 
faith,  and  think  of  it  alone,  and  live  as  they  like  :  "  And  1 
heard  a  voice  from  the  four  horns  of  the  golden  altar  which  ia 
before  God,  saying  to  the  sixth  angel  who  had  the  trumpet," 
signifies  a  command  from  the  Lord  out  of  the  spiritual  heaven 
310 


Chap,  ix.]         THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED. 

to  those  who  were  to  explore  and  make  manifest:  v.  14, 
"  Loose  the  four  angels  that  are  bound  at  the  threat  river 
Euphrates,"  signifies  that  external  restraints  shoukl  l)e  re- 
moved from  them,  that  the  interiors  of  tlieir  minds  might 
appear:  v.  15,  "  x\nd  the  four  angels  were  loosed,"  signitiea 
that  when  external  restraints  were  removed,  the  interiors  of 
tJieir  minds  appeared  :  ""  Who  were  prepared  for  an  lK)ur,  and 
a  day,  and  a  month,  and  a  year,  to  slay  the  third  part  of  men," 
signifies  that  they  were  perpetuall}'  in  the  effort  to  take  away 
spiritual  light  and  life  from  men  of  the  church :  v.  16,  "  And 
the  number  of  the  armies  of  horsemen  were  two  myriads  of 
myriads,"  signifies  reasonings  concerning  faith  alone,  with 
.rliicli  the  interiors  of  their  minds  were  filled,  from  the  great 
abundance  of  the  mere  falses  of  evil :  "  And  I  heard  the  num- 
ber of  them,"  signifies  that  the  quality  of  them  was  perceived  : 
v.  17,  "  And  thus  I  saw  the  horses  in  the  vision,  and  them  that 
sat  on  them,"  signifies  that  it  Avas  then  discovered  that  the 
reasonings  of  the  interiors  of  their  minds  concerning  faith  alone 
were  imaginary''  and  visionary,  and  that  they  themselves  were 
infatuated  with  them :  "  Having  breast-plates  of  fire,  and  of 
jacinth,  and  of  brimstone,"  signifies  their  imaginary  and  vision- 
ary argumentations  from  infernal  love  and  self-derived  intelli- 
gence, and  from  the  concupiscences  thence  proceeding:  "And 
the  heads  of  the  horses  were  as  the  heads  of  lions,"  signifies 
phantasies  concerning  faith  alone  as  if  it  were  in  power:  "And 
out  of  their  mouths  issued  fire,  and  smoke,  and  brimstone," 
signifies  that  in  their  thoughts  and  discourses,  viewed  interiorly, 
there  is  nothing,  and  from  them  there  proceeds  nothing,  but 
the  love  of  self  and  of  the  world,  and  the  pride  of  self-dei'ived 
intelligence,  and  the  concupiscences  of  evil  and  falsity  spring- 
ing from  these  tAvo  sources:  v.  18,  "By  these  three  was  the 
third  part  of  men  killed,  by  the  fire,  and  by  the  smoke,  and  by 
the  brimstone,  which  issued  out  of  their  mouths,"  signifies 
that  from  these  it  is  that  the  men  of  the  church  perish :  v.  19, 
"  For  their  power  was  in  their  mouth,"  signifies  that  they  only 
prevail  by  their  discourse  in  confirmation  of  faith  :  "  For  their 
tails  were  like  unto  serpents,  and  had  heads,  and  with  them 
they  do  hurt,"  signifies  the  reason,  because  they  are  in  a  sen- 
sual and  inverted  state,  speaking  truths  with  their  lips,  but 
falsifying  them  by  the  principle  which  constitutes  the  head  of 
their  religion,  and  thus  they  deceive :  v.  20,  "  And  the  rest  of 
the  men  who  were  not  killed  by  these  plagues,"  signifies  those 
in  the  reformed  church  who  are  not  so  spiritually  dead  from 
visionary  reasonings,  and  from  self-love,  and  from  the  ])ride  of 
self-derived  intelligence,  and  from  the  concupiscences  tlienco 
proceeding,  as  those  before  mentioned,  and  yet  make  faith 
alone  the  head  of  their  religion:  "Yet  repented  not  of  the 
works  of  their  hands,"  signifies  that  neither  did  they  shun  tha 
311 


ilQ — 421  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Cliap.  iX. 

things  that  are  proper  to  themselves,  which  are  evils  of  every 
kind,  as  sins:  "That  they  shonld  not  worship  demons,"  signi- 
fies that  thus  they  are  in  the  evils  of  their  concupiscences,  and 
make  one  with  their  like  in  hell:  "Aiii  idols  of  gold,  and 
silver,  and  brass,  and  stone,  and  of  wood,"  signifies  that  thus 
they  are  in  worship  grounded  i-n  mere  falses :  "■  Which  neither 
can  see,  nor  hear,  nor  walk,"  signifies,  in  which  there  is  nothing 
of  spiritual  and  truly  rational  life:  v.  21,  "Neither  repented 
they  of  their  murders,  nor  of  their  sorceries,  nor  of  their  fornica- 
tion, nor  of  their  thefts,"  signifies  that  the  heresy  of  faith  alone 
induces  on  their  hearts  stupidity,  tergiversation,  and  hardness, 
80  that  they  do  not  think  any  thing  of  the  precepts  of  the  deca- 
logue, nor  indeed  of  any  sin  that  it  ought  to  be  shunned  because 
it  is  in  favour  of  the  devil  and  against  God. 


THE  EXPLANATION. 


419.  And  the  fifth  angel  sounded,  signifies  the  exploration 
and  manifestation  of  the  states  of  life  of  those  in  the  reformed 
clmrcli,  who  are  called  learned  and  wise  from  their  confirmation 
of  faith  separated  from  charity,  and  of  justification  and  salvation 
by  it  alone.  That  these  are  treated  of  in  what  now  follows  as 
far  as  verse  13,  is  evident  from  the  particulars,  understood  in  a 
spiritual  sense.  That  by  sounding  is  signified  to  explore  and 
make  manifest  the  state  of  the  cliurch,  and  thence  the  state  of 
life  with  those  whose  religion  consists  in  faith  alone,  may  be 
seen  above,  n.  397. 

420.  And  I  saw  a  star  fall  from,  heaven  unto  the  earth, 
signifies  divine  truth  spiritual  flowing  from  heaven  into  the 
church  as  existing  with  such  persons,  and  eflecting  exploration 
and  manifestation.  By  a  star  is  here  signified  divine  truth 
spiritual,  because  it  fell  from  the  spiritual  heaven,  concerning 
which,  above,  n.  387,  388  ;  and  by  the  earth  is  here  signified  the 
church  with  those  who  are  in  its  internals,  as  above,  n.  398. 
By  divine  truth  spiritual  is  meant  intelligence  derived  from 
spiritual  love,  which  is  love  towards  the  neighbour ;  and  as  that 
intelligence  at  this  day  is  called  faith,  and  that  love,  charity,  it 
is  faith  derived  from  charity,  or  rather  it  is  the  truth  of  faith 
derived  from  the  good  of  charity,  which  is  here  signified  by  a 
star.  The  same  is  signified  by  a  star  in  the  singidar  number, 
Apoc.  ii.  28 ;  xxii.  16 ;  for  by  stars,  in  the  plural  number,  are 
signified  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth,  n.  51,  and  by  these 
intelligence  is  acquired.  That  it  is  divine  truth  exploring  and 
manifesting,  is  evident  from  what  follows. 

421.  And  to  him  was  given  the  key  of  the  l)ottomless  jpit,  sig- 
812 


V.   1.]  THE  APOCALTI'SE  REVEALED.  421 

uifies  the  opoiiinp;  of  their  helL  Bv  a  key  is  signified  the  power 
of  oj>eiiiii<2;,  and  also  the  act  of  opening,  n.  62,  ITi,  840.  And 
by  the  boUoniless  pit  is  signified  the  hell  where  they  are  who 
have  confirmed  themselves  in  justification  and  salvation  by  faith 
alone,  who  are  all  of  the  reformed  church :  but  in  the  present 
case,  they  who  in  their  own  eyes,  and  thence  in  the  eyes  of 
nuiny  others,  ap])ear  as  learned  and  erudite,  when  yet  in  the 
sight  of  the  angels  in  heaven  they  appear  destitute  of  under- 
standing as  to  those  things  which  pertain  to  heaven  and  the 
church;  because  they  who  confirm  that  faith  even  to  its  inte- 
riors, close  the  superior  degrees  of  their  understanding,  till  at 
length  they  are  unable  to  see  any  spiritual  truth  in  light;  the 
reason  is,  because  the  confirnuition  of  falsity  is  the  negation  of 
truth  ;  therefore  when  they  hear  any  spiritual  truth,  which  is  a 
truth  of  the  AVord  serviceable  to  those  who  are  of  the  church 
for  doctrine  and  life,  they  kee])  their  minds  fixed  in  the  falses 
which  they  have  confirmed,  and  then  they  either  veil  over  the 
truth  they  have  heard  with  falses,  or  reject  them  as  a  mere 
sound,  or  yawn  at  it  and  avert  themselves ;  and  this  in  the 
degree  in  which  they  are  in  the  pride  of  their  own  erudition  ; 
for  pride  glues  falses  together,  so  that  at  last  they  cohere  like 
the  concretions  formed  Vrom  the  f(.)am  of  the  sea;  therefore  the 
AVord  is  hid  from  them  as  a  book  sealed  with  seven  seals. 
What  their  quality  is,  and  what  their  hell,  shall  also  be  described, 
because  it  has  been  permitted  me  to  see  it,  and  to  discourse 
with  those  who  are  therein,  and  also  to  see  the  locusts  that 
came  out  of  it.  "That  pit,  which  is  like  the  aperture  of  a  fur-^ 
nace,  appears  in  the  southern  quarter,  and  the  abyss  beneath  is 
of  large  extent  towards  the  east ;  there  is  light  in  it,  but  if  light 
from  heaven  be  admitted  into  it,  it  becomes  darkness,  wherefore 
the  pit  is  closed  above.  Huts,  arched  as  it  were  with  brick, 
appear  therein,  divided  into  various  little  cells,  in  each  of  which 
there  is  a  table,  with  paper  and  books  lying  upon^  it.  Every 
one  sits  at  his  own  table,  who  in  the  world  had  confirmed  justi- 
fication and  salvation  b}^  faith  alone,  making  charity  an  act 
merely  natural-moral,  and  its  works  only  w^orks  of  civil  life, 
^vhereby  men  may  attain  reward  in  the  world;  but  if  they  are 
done  for  the  sake  of  salvation,  they  condemn  them,  and  this 
severely,  because  hunuin  reason  and  will  are  in  them.  All  who 
are  in  this  abyss  have  been  learned  and  erudite  in  the  world  ; 
and  among  them  there  are  some  metaphysicians  and  scholastics, 
who  are  esteemed  there  above  the  rest.  AVhen  it  was  granted 
me  to  enter  into  discourse  with  them,  I  recognised  some  of 
them  :  but  this  is  their  lot  on  their  first  admission  ; — they  sit  in 
the  foremost  cells  ;  but  as  they  confirm  faith  by  excluding 
works  of  charity,  they  leave  their  first  habitations,  and  enter 
into  cells  nearer  to  the  east,  and  so  on  st.ccessively  till  towards 
the  end,  where  those  are  who  confirm  these  tenets  from  the 
313 


422,  423  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.        [Chap.  ix. 

Word  ;  and  as  they  then  cannot  but  falsify  the  "Word,  their  hut8 
disappear,  and  they  see  themselves  in  a  desert,  whereupon 
Avhat  is  described  above,  n.  153,  happens  to  them.  There  is 
also  an  abyss  beneath  the  one  just  mentioned,  where  they  are 
who  in  like  manner  have  confirmed  justification  and  salvation 
by  faith  alone,  but  who  by  themselves  in  their  spirit  have  de- 
nied God,  and  in  their  hearts  have  laughed  at  the  holy  things 
of  the  church  ;  here  they  do  nothing  but  quarrel,  tear  their  gar- 
ments', climb  upon  the  tables,  and  kick  and  abuse  one  another ; 
and  because  no  one  is  there  permitted  to  do  mischief  to  the 
body  of  another,  they  menace  with  their  faces  and  fists.  Filthi- 
ness  and  impurity  here  prevail ;  but  these  are  not  treated  of  in 
this  place." 

422.  And  he  opened  the  hottomless  2yi't'>  ci'>^d  there  arose  a 
smoke  out  of  the  pit  as  the  smoke  of  a  great  furnace,  signifies 
the  fjilses  of  the  concupiscences  of  the  natural  man  springing 
forth  from  their  evil  loves.  By  the  bottomless  pit,  is  signified 
the  hell  above  described,  n.  421 ;  by  the  smoke  from  thence, 
are  signified  the  falses  from  concupiscences ;  and  because  the 
smoke  as  of  a  great  furnace  is  mentioned,  the  falses  of  concu- 
piscences springing  forth  from  evil  loves  are  understood,  for 
fire  signifies  love,  n.  468  ;  and  the  fire  of  hell,  evil  love,  n.  490. 
A  great  furnace  has  a  like  signification,  because  it  smokes  from 
fire.  Infernal  spirits  are  not  in  any  material  fire,  but  in  spiritual 
fire,  which  is  their  love ;  therefore  they  do  not  feel  any  other 
fire  ;  on  which  subject  see  the  work  on  Heaven  and  Hell,  n. 

;^34,  566 — 575.  All  love,  in  the  spiritual  world,  when  it  is  ex- 
cited, appears  at  a  distance  as  fire, — within  the  hells,  as  red-hot 
fire,  and  without,  as  the  smoke  of  a  fire,  or  as  the  smoke  of  a 
furnace.  The  falses  of  the  concupiscences  springing  forth  from 
evil  loves,  are  also  described  as  smoke  from  a  fire  and  from  a 
furnace,  in  other  parts  of  the  Word,  as  in  these  passages  :  Abra- 
ham "  looked  tov/ards  Sodom  and  Gomorrah, — and  beheld,  and 
lo,  the  smoke  of  the  country  went  up  as  the  smoke  of  a  furnace^'* 
Gen.  xix.  28.  "The  sun  went  down,  and  it  was  dark,  and  be- 
hold, a  smoking  furnace,  and  a  burning  lamp,  that  passed  be- 
tween those  pieces,"  Gen.  xv.  17.  "  And  now,  they  sin,  more 
and  more,  therefore  they  shall  be  as  the  si  take  out  of  the  chiin- 
ney^''  Hosea  xiii.  2,  3.  "  But  the  wicked  shall  perish,  into 
%moke  shall  they  consume  away,"  Psalm  xxxvii.  20.  "  And  I 
will  show  wonders  in  the  heavens,  and  in  the  earth,  blood,  and 
fire,  and  pillars  oi smoke ^^  Joel  ii.  30.  "And  shall  cast  them 
into  2^  furnace  of  Jire,  there  shall  be  wailing  and  gnashing  ot 
teeth,"  Matt.  xiii.  41,  42,  49,  51 ;  and  in  other  places. 

423.  Arid  the  sun  and  the  air  were  darkened,  hy  reason  of  the 
smoke  of  the  pit,  signifies  that  thereby  the  light  of  truth  was 
turned  into  thick  darkness.  By  the  sun  and  the  air  is  here  sig« 
nified  the  light  of  truth,  for  by  the  sun  is  signified  love,  and  l)y 

314 


V.  2,  3.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  424 

the  li<;lit  proceeding  from  it  divine  truth  ;  wlierefore  when  it  is 
said  tliat  when  the  sun  is  darkened,  and  at  tlie  same  time  the 
air,  it  signities  tliat  divine  truth  had  become  thick  darkness : 
that  tliis  was  from  the  falses  of  concupiscences,  is  signified  by 
its  being  effected  by  the  smoke  of  tlie  pit. 

424.  A7id  there  came  out  of  the  smoke  locusts  upon  the  earthy 
signifies  tliat  from  them  were  derived  falses  to  the  extreme  or 
lowest  degrees,  such  as  prevail  witli  those  who  have  become 
sensual,  and  see  and  judge  of  all  things  from  their  senSes  and 
from  the  fallacies  thereof  They  are  called  falses  in  the  extreme 
or  lowest  degrees,  which  occupy  the  extreme  or  lowest  prin- 
ciples of  man's  life,  and  are  termed  sensual,  concerning  which 
we  shall  speak  presently ;  these  are  signified  by  locusts,  in  the 
Word  :  but  it  is  to  be  observed,  that  they  did  not  appear  like 
the  locusts  of  the  field,  which  leap  about  and  lay  waste  meadows 
and  corn  fields,  but  like  pigmies  or  little  men,  which  is  evident 
also  from  their  description,  in  that  they  had  crowns  on  their 
heads,  and  faces  like  men,  hair  like  women,  teeth  like  lions, 
]>reast-plates  of  iron,  and  a  king  over  them, — the  angel  of  the 
bottomless  pit.  That  little  men  were  also  called  locusts  by  the 
ancients,  may  be  concluded  from  this  passage  :  The  spies  who 
were  sent  to  search  the  land  of  Canaan,  said,  "  And  there  we 
saw  the  giants,  the  sons  of  Anak,  and  we  loere  in  their  eyes  as 
locusts"  Numb.  xiii.  33.  "  It  is  Jehovah  that  sitteth  upon  the 
circle  of  the  earth,  and  the  inhahitants  thereof  are  as  lociists,''^ 
Isaiah  xl.  22.  But  as  falses  in  extremes  or  lowest  principles, 
such  as  prevail  among  them,  are  signified  by  locusts  in  the 
Word,  therefore  they  are  called  locusts,  as  also  crowned  and 
commanders,  in  Xahum  :  "  There  shall  the  fire  devour  thee,  it 
shall  eat  thee  up  like  the  canker-worm ;  make  thyself  many  as 
the  canker-worm,  make  thyself  many  as  the  locusts  /  thy 
crowned  are  as  the  locusts,  and  thy  captains  as  the  locust  of 
locusts,''^  iii.  15 — 17.  It  is  in  consequence  of  falses  in  extreme 
or  lowest  principles  consuming  the  truths  and  goods  of  the 
church,  as  they  spring  up  in  man,  that  they  are  signified  by 
locusts,  which  consume  the  grass  and  herb  of  the  field,  as  may 
be  evident  from  these  passages  :  "  Thou  shalt  carry  much  seed 
out  into  the  field,  for  the  locust  shall  consume  it,"  Deut.  xxviii. 
38.  "  That  whicli  the  pahner-worm  hath  left  hath  the  locust 
eaten,  and  that  which  the  locust  hatii  left  hath  the  caidcer-worm 
eaten,  and  that  which  the  canker-worm  hath  left  hath  the  cater- 
inllar  eaten,"  Joel  i.  4,  5.  "  And  I  will  restore  to  you  the  yeara 
that  the  locust  hath  eaten,  the  canker-worm,  the  caterpillar,  and 
the  palmer-worm  have  eaten,"  Joel  ii.  24,  25.  The  same  is 
signified  by  the  locusts  in  Egypt,  concerning  which  it  is  thus 
written  in  Moses  :  "  And  Moses  stretched  forth  his  rod  over  the 
land  of  Egypt,  and  the  east  wind  l»rought  the  locusts.  And  the 
locusts  went  up  over  all  the  land  of  Egypt ; — before  them  there 
315 


424:  THE   APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Cliap.  ix. 

were  no  such  locusts^ — and  they  did  eat  every  herb  of  the  land :" 
and  afterwards,  "  Moses  stretched  forth  his  rod,  and  the  locusts 
were  cast  into  tlie  Red  Sea,"  Exod.  x.  13,  and  subsequent  verses; 
and  in  David  :  He  gave  their  produce  to  the  caterpillobr^  and 
their  labour  to  the  locust^  Psalm  cv.  3i,  35,  By  the  miracles 
in  Egypt  is  described  the  vastation  of  the.  church ;  and  by  this 
miracle,  vastation  by  falses  in  extreme  or  lowest  principles ; 
and  the  extreme  or  lowest  principles  of  man's  life,  when  the 
interiol's  on  which  they  depend  are  closed,  are  infernal ;  for  this 
reason  it  is  that  it  is  said  the  locusts  were  cast  into  the  Red  Sea, 
by  which  is  signified  hell. 

As  few  at  this  day  know  what  is  meant  by  the  sensual  prin- 
ciple, and  what  the  quality  of  the  sensual  man  is ;  and  as  locusts 
signify  such,  the  following  extracts  are  therefore  adduced  con- 
cerning it  from  the  Arcana  Ccdestia.  "  That  the  sensual  prin- 
ciple is  the  ultimate  of  the  life  of  man's  mind,  adhering  and 
cohering  to  his  five  bodily  senses,  n.  5077,  5767,  9121,  9216, 
9331,  9730.  That  he  is  called  a  sensual  man  who  judges  of  all 
things  by  his  bodily  senses,  and  who  believes  nothing  but  what 
he  can  see  with  his  eyes,  and  touch  with  his  hands  ;  saying  that 
these  are  something,  and  rejecting  the  rest,  n.  509-1,  7693. 
That  the  interiors  of  his  mind,  which  see  from  the  light  of  hea- 
A^en,  are  closed,  so  that  he  sees  nothing  of  truth  there,  which  is 
of  heaven  and  the  church,  n.  6564,  Q^^l^i^  6845.  That  such  a 
man  thinks  in  extreme  or  lowest  principles,  and  not  interiorly 
from  any  spiritual  light,  n.  5089,  5091,  5564,  7693.  In  short, 
that  thev  are  in  a  dense  natural  light,  n.  6201,  6310,  6164,  6844, 
6845,  6612,  6614,  6622,  6524.  Tliat  thence  interiorly  they  are 
against  the  things  which  are  of  heaven  and  the  church,  but  that 
exteriorly  they  can  speak  in  favour  of  them,  and  ardently,  accord- 
ing to  the  dominion  thev  exercise  by  means  of  them,  n.  6201, 
6316,  6844,  6845,  6948,  6949.  That  the  learned  and  erudite, 
who  have  confirmed  themselves  deeply  in  falses,  and  still  more 
tiiey  who  have  confirmed  themselves  against  the  truths  of  the 
Word,  are  sensual  above  all  others,  n.  6316.  That  sensual  men 
reason  acutely  and  subtilly,  because  their  thought  is  so  near 
their  speech  that  it  is  almost  in  it,  and  as  it  were  in  their  lips, 
and  because  they  place  all  intelligence  in  speech  from  memory 
only  ;  also  that  some  of  them  can  dextrously  confirm  falses,  and 
that  after  confirmation  they  believe  them  to  be  truths,  n.  195, 
196,  5700,  10236.  Bat  that  they  reason  and  confirm  things 
from  the  fallacies  of  the  senses,  by  which  the  vulgar  are  capti- 
vated and  persuaded,  n.  5084,  6948,  6949,  7693.  That  sensual 
men  are  more  cunning  and  malicious  than  others,  n.  7693, 
10236.  That  the  avaricious,  adulterous,  and  the  voluptuous 
and  deceitful,  are  especially  sensual,  although  in  the  eyes  of  the 
world  they  do  not  appear  so,  n.  6310.  That  the  interiors  of 
their  minds  are  filthy  and  unclean,  n.  6201.  That  by  these 
316 


V.  3.]  THE  AP0CALTP8K  EEVEALED.  424 

tliev  eoiiimunicate  with  tlic  hells,  ti.  6311.  That  they  wlio  are 
in  the  liells  are  sensual,  and  the  more  so  in  proportion  to  the 
depths  to  which  they  have  fallen,  n.  4(323,  6311.  That  the 
sphere  of  infernal  spirits  conjoins  itself  with  the  sensual  princi- 
ple of  man  from  behind,  n.  6312.  That  they  Avho  have  reasoned 
from  sensual  things  only,  and  thence  a_2;ainst  the  genuine  truths 
of  the  church,  were  called  by  the  ancients,  serpents  of  the  tree 
of  knowledge,  n.  195,  196,  197,  6398,  6399,  10313.  Moreover 
the  sensual  principle  or  faculty  of  man,  and  the  sensual' man, 
are  described,  n.  10236:  and  the  extension  of  thing?  sensual  in 
man,  n.  9731.  That  sensual  things  ought  to  be  in  tho  last  place, 
and  not  in  the  first,  and  that  in  a  wise  and  intelligent"  man  they 
are  in  the  last  place,  and  subject  to  the  interiors ;  bui,  +hat  in  a 
foolish  man,  they  are  in  the  iii-st  place,  and  govern  ;  these  are 
they  Avho  are  properly  called  sensual,  n.  5077,  5125,  5128,  7645. 
If  sensual  things  are  in  the  hist  place,  a  way  is  opened  by  them 
to  the  understanding,  and  truths  are  corrected  by  a  mode  of  ex- 
traction, n.  5580.  That  those  sensual  things  are  in  close  con- 
tact with  the  world,  and  admit  the  things  which  flow  from  the 
world,  and,  as  it  were,  sift  them,  n.  9726.  That  man  by  means 
of  those  sensual  things,  communicates  with  the  world,  and,  by 
means  of  rational  things,  with  heaven,  n.  4009.  That  sensual 
things  supply  such  as  are  subservient  to  the  interiors  of  the 
mind,  n.  5077,  5081.  That  there  are  sensual  things  which 
minister  to  the  intellectual  part ;  and  such  as  minister  to  the 
voluntary  part,  n.  5077.  That  unless  the  thought  be  elevated 
above  sensual  things,  man  enjoys  but  little  wisdom,  n.  5089. 
That  a  wise  man  thinks  about  sensual  things,  n.  5089,  5094. 
That  man,  when  his  thought  is  elevated  above  sensual  things, 
comes  into  a  clearer  light,  and,  at  length,  into  heavenly  light, 
n.  6183,  6313,  6315,  9407,  9730,  9922^  That  elevation  above 
sensual  things,  and  abstraction  from  them,  was  known  to  the 
ancients,  n.  6313.  That  man,  by  his  spirit,  might  perceive  the 
things  which  are  done  in  the  spiritual  world,  if  he  could  be  with- 
drawn from  sensual  things,  and  be  elevated  into  the  light  of 
heaven  by  the  Lord,  n.  4622.  The  reason  is,  because  the  body 
does  not  think,  but  the  spirit  of  man  in  the  body ;  and  in  pro- 
portion as  it  thiidvs  in  the  body,  in  the  same  ])roportion  it  thinks 
obscurely  and  in  darkness;  and  in  proportion  as  it  does  not 
think  in  the  body,  in  the  same  proportion  it  thinks  clearly  and 
in  the  light ;  but  in  si)iritual  things,  n.  4622,  6614,  6622.  That 
the  sensual  scientific  pi'inciple  is  the  ultimate  of  the  understand- 
ing, and  the  sensual  deliglit,  the  ultinuite  of  the  will,  n.  9996, 
What  the  difterence  is  between  the  sensual  things  common  to 
beasts,  and  the  sensual  things  not  common  to  them,  n.  10236. 
That  there  are  sensual  men  not  wicked,  by  reason  that  their  inte- 
riors are  not  closed  correspondently,  concerning  whose  state  in 
another  lite,  see  n.  6311." 
317 


i25j  426         THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         [Chap.  IX. 

425.  And  unto  them  was  gwen power,  as  the  scorpions  of  the 
earth  have  p>oiO€r,  siguilies  the  power  of  persuading  that  their 
falses  are  truths.  By  a  scorpion  is  signified  deadly  persuasion  ; 
and,  by  a  scorpion  of  the  earth,  persuasion  in  things  rehxting  to 
the  church ;  the  eartli  signifying  the  church,  n.  285 ;  for  a 
scorpion,  when  he  stings  a  man,  induces  a  stupor  npon  the 
limbs,  wliich,  if  it  be  not  cured,  is  followed  by  death ;  their 
persuasion  produces  a  corresponding  effect  upon  the  under- 
standing. Such  is  also  the  signification  of  scorpion  in  these 
passages :  "  And  thou,  son  of  man,  be  not  afraid  of  them,  nei- 
ther be  afraid  of  their  words,  though  briers  and  thorns  be  with 
thee,  and  thou  dost  dwell  among  scorpions,  nor  be  dismayed 
at  their  looks,  though  they  be  a  rebellious  house,"  Ezek.  ii.  6. 
Jesus  said  unto  the  seventy  whom  he  sent  forth,  "Behold,  I  give 
unto  you  power  to  tread  on  serpents  and  scorpions,  and  on  all 
the  power  of  the  enemy  ;  and  nothing  shall  by  any  means  hurt 
you,"  Luke  x.  10. 

426.  AjicI  it  v)as  commanded  them  that  they  shoidd  not  hurt 
the  grass  of  the  earth,  neither  any  green  thing,  neither  any  tree  / 
hut  only  those  men  wlio  had  not  the  seal  of  Ood  in  their  fore^ 
heads,  signifies  the  divine  providence  of  the  Lord,  that  they 
should  not  be  able  to  take  away  any  truth  and  good  of  faith, 
nor  anj  afiection  and  perception  of  them,  from  any  others  than 
such  as  are  not  in  charity  and  thence  not  in  faith.  By  its  being 
commanded  them,  is  signified  the  Lord's  divine  providence,  be- 
cause it  was  commanded  from  heaven  ;  by  not  hurting  the  grass 
of  the  earth  nor  any  green  thing,  is  signified  not  to  be  able  to 
take  away  any  truth  and  good  of  iaith  ;  for  by  grass  is  signified 
the  truth  of  faith,  which  is  what  first  springs  up  in  man,  n.  401 ; 
and,  by  green  thing,  is  signified  the  living  principle  of  faith, 
which  is  derived  from  good,  n.  401 ;  by  not  hurting  any  tree, 
is  signified  not  to  be  able  to  take  away  the  affection  and  per- 
ception of  truth  and  good  ;  for  by  a  tree  is  signified  man  as  to 
these  qualities,  n,  400 ;  by  those  men  who  had  not  the  seal  of 
God  in  their  foreheads,  are  signified  they  who  are  not  in  charity, 
and  thence  in  faith  ;  for  the  forehead  signifies  love  and  charity, 
n.  347  ;  and  to  have  the  seal,  signifies  to  know  and  distinguish 
them  from  others,  n.  345.  The  reason  why  they  who  have  con- 
firmed faith  alone,  to  the  very  arcana  of  justification  and  salva- 
tion by  it,  cannot  take  away  any  truth  and  good  of  faith,  nor 
the  afiection  and  perception  of  them,  from  any  but  those  who 
are  not  in  the  faith  of  charity,  is,  because  they  are  scarcely  com- 
prehended by  any  one  but  the  priest  who  teaches  and  preaches 
them.  The  layman  hears  them,  but  they  enter  in  at  one  ear 
and  go  out  at  the  other  ;  which  the  priest  himself,  who  utters 
those  arcana,  may  know  of  a  certainty  from  this  circumstance, 
that  he  himself  spent  the  whole  force  of  his  genius  in  acquiring 
a  knowledge  of  them  in  his  youth,  and  afterwards  in  retaining 

318 


V.  4,  5.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  427,  428 

thciu  in  avlnlt  ao;e,  likewise  from  liis  considering  liiniself  as  a 
man  of  extraordinary  learnin<i; :  Avliat  then  must  be  the  case 
with  a  hijnian,  wlio  simply  thinks  of  iaith  from  charity,  when 
he  hears  these  mysteries?  From  what  has  been  said,  it  may  be 
seen  that  faith  alone,  as  being  competent  to  justification,  is  the 
faith  of  the  clergy,  and  not  of  the  laity,  save  such  of  them  as 
live  unconcernedly,  who  imbibe  no  more  from  their  arcana  than 
that  faith  alone  saves ;  that  they  cannot  do  good  from  them- 
selves, nor  fulfil  the  law ;  and  that  Christ  suffered  for  them  ; 
besides  some  other  universals  of  a  similar  nature. 

427.  A?id  to  them  it  loasg'wcn  that  they  should  not  hill  them,, 
hut  that  they  should  he  tormented  Jive  months,  signifies  that 
from  the  divine  providence  of  the  Lord,  they  are  not  able  to 
take  away  from  those,  who  are  not  in  the  faith  of  charity,  the 
faculty  of  understanding  and  willing  M'hat  is  true  and  good,  but 
that  they  should  only  be  able  to  induce  stupor  for  a  short  time. 
By  its  being  given  them,  is  signified  that  it  is  so  ordered  from 
the  divine  providence  of  the  Lord,  as  above  ;  not  to  have  power 
to  kill  them,  signifies  not  to  be  able  to  take  away  from  those 
wlio  are  not  in  the  faith  of  charity,  the  faculty  of  understanding 
and  willing  what  is  true  and  good,  for  when  tiiis  faculty  is  taken 
away,  man  is  spiritually  killed  ;  by  tormenting  them  five  months, 
is  signified  to  induce  stupor  for  a  short  time  ;  five  signifies  a 
little,  or  a  short  time,  and  to  torment,  signifies  to  induce  stupor, 
because  this  is  what  is  signified  b}'^  a  scorpion,  n.  425  ;  and  by 
the  torment,  as  it  were,  of  a  scorpion,  is  signified  as  follows,  n. 
428.  Tliat  the  faculty  of  understanding  truth  and  of  willing  it, 
or  rationality  and  liberty,  cannot  be  taken  away  from  man,  is 
amply  shown  in  the  Angelic  Wisdom  concerning  the  Divine  Pro^ 
vidence,  n.  73,  74,  82—86,  92—98,  138—149,  322.  That  live 
months  signify  a  little,  and  a  short  time,  is  owing  to  the  signi- 
fication of  five,  as  denoting  a  little  ;  for  times,  whether  they  be 
hours,  days,  weeks,  or  months,  or  years,  do  not  signify  time, 
but  state  ;  and  numbers  determine  its  quality,  n.  4, 10,  348,  947. 
That  five  signifies  something,  and  also  a  little,  may  appear  from 
these  places  :  A  thousand  shall  flee  at  the  rebuke  o^five,  Isaiah 
XXX.  17.  "  And  five  of  you  shall  chase  a  hundred,"  Levit,  xxvi. 
8.  Jesus  said,  "  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  ten  vir- 
gins, of  which ^/ji'«3  were  wise  awAfive  were  foolish,"  Matt.  xxv. 
],  2.  By  ten  virgins  are  signified  all  in  the  church;  by  five 
are  signified  a  certain  part  or  some  of  them.  The  like  is  signi- 
fied by  ten  and  five  in  the  parable  where  there  were  given  unto 
the  servants  talents  that  they  should  trade,  and  one  with  his 
talent  gained  ten  talents,  and  another,  five,  Luke  xix.  13 — -20. 
Ten  talents  signify  much,  and  five  talents,  a  little ;  not  to  men- 
tion other  passages ;  as  in  Isaiah  xvii.  6 ;  xix.  18,  19 ;  Matt. 
xiv.  15—22. 

428.  And  tJieir  torment  was  as  the  torment  of  a  scorjpion 
319 


429,  430  THE    APOCALYPSE   EE-VEALED.  [Cliap.  I'x. 

-when  he  sti^Tceth  a  man.,  signifies  that  tliis  is  from  their  power 
of  persuasion.  This  follows  from  what  was  said,  n.  427  ;  for  by 
torment  is  signified  the  stupor,  which  their  persuasion  induces 
upon  the  understanding,  as  the  scorpion  does  upon  the  body 
when  he. stings  it;  a  scorpion  signifies  that  faculty  of  persua- 
sion, n.  425.  "in  the  spiritual  word  there  exists  a  power  of 
persuasion  wliich  takes  away  the  understanding  of  truth,  and 
induces  stupor,  and  thus  distress,  upon  the  mind  ;  but  this  power 
of  persuasion  is  unknown  in  the  natural  world. 

429.  And  in  those  dags  shall  men  seeh  death,  and  shall  not 
find  it  I  and  shall  desire  to  die,  and  death  shall  fiee from  them, 
signifies  that  it  is  the  desire  of  those  who  are  in  the  doctrine  of 
faith  separated,  that  in  matters  of  faith  the  understanding  should 
be  shut  up  and  the  will  closed,  and  thus  that  they  should  not 
have  any  spiritual  light  and  life ;  but  that  it  is  nevertheless 
provided  by  the  Lord  that  the  understanding  should  not  be  shut 
up,  nor  the  will  closed,  lest  spiritual  light  and  life  in  man  should 
be  extinguished.  In  those  days,  signifies  the  last  state  of  the 
church,  when  the  doctrine  of  faith  alone  is  universally  received ; 
men  shall  seek  death,  signifies  that  they  will  desire  that,  in  mat- 
ters of  faith,  the  understanding  should  be  shut  up  ;  and  shall 
not  find  it,  signifies  tliat  it  is  provided  of  the  Lord,  that  this 
should  not  be  done  :  and  shall  desire  to  die,  signifies  that  they 

'  will  also  wish  to  have  the  will  closed  in  them  ;  and  death  shall 
flee  from  them,  signifies  that  it  is  provided  that  neither  should 
take  place  ;  for  thus  spiritual  light  and  life  would  be  extin- 
guished, and  man  would  spiritually  die ;  to  seek,  is  predicated 
of  the  understanding;  and  to  desire,  of  the  will;  and  death,  of 
both.  That  this  is  the  signification  of  these  words,  is  evident ; 
otherwise,  what  meaning  could  there  be  in  men's  seeking  death 
in  those  days  and  not  finding  it,  and  desiring  to  die  and  death 
fleeing  from  them  ?  for  by  death,  no  other  death  is  meant  but 
spiritual  death,  which  is  induced  when  the  understanding  is 
removed  from  the  things  that  are  to  be  believed  ;  for  in  this 
case  man  knows  not  whether  he  thinks  and  does  what  is  true, 
or  what  is  false,  thus  whether  he  thinks  and  acts  with  the  angels 
of  heaven,  or  with  the  devils  of  hell. 

430.  And  the  shapes  of  the  locusts,  signifies  the  form  and 
appearances  of  those  who  have  confirmed  in  themselves  faith 
separated  from  charity.  By  shapes,  is  signified  their  appear- 
ances in  a  representative  image  ;  by  locusts,  are  signified  falses 
in  extreme  or  lowest  principles,  n.  424 ;  and  as  falscs  make  one 
with  those  who  are  in  falses,  they  also  are  signified  by  locusts. 
That  they  who  have  confirmed  themselves  in  faitli  alone,  or  that 
the  falses  in  which  they  are  principled,  are  meant  by  locusts, 
appeared  evident  to  me  from  this  circumstance,  that  the  pres- 
byters who  were  in  that  faith,  embraced  the  locusts  that  were 
Been,  and  kissed  them,  and  were  desirous  of  introducing  them 

320 


V.  5 — 8.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         431 — 434 

into  their  houses  ;  for  the  images,  which  are  forms  representative 
of  the  affections  and  thonglits  of  angels  and  spirits  in  the  spir- 
itual world,  a})pear  as  if  they  were  alive,  in  like  manner  as  the 
animals,  hirds,  and  fishes,  mentioned  above. 

431.  Were  like  unto  horses  preixired,  unto  hattle,  signifies 
that  because  they  can  reason,  they  aj)pear  to  themselves  to  com- 
bat from  the  understanding  of  truth  from  the  AVord.  By  a 
liorse,  is  signified  tlie  understanding  of  the  Word,  n.  298 ;  by 
war,  is  signified  spiritual  war,  which  consists  in  reasonings 
and  argumentations,  n.  500,  586  ;  by  like,  or  similitudes,  are 
signified  appearances,  as  above,  n.  430. 

432.  And  on  their  heads  were  as  it  \oere  crowns  like  gold^ 
signifies  that  they  appeared  to  themselves  as  conquerors.  By 
crowns  on  their  heads  like  gold,  are  signified  tokens  of  victory, 
because  formerly  kings  wore  crowns  of  gold  in  battle,  n.  300  ; 
for  it  is  said  that  they  Avere  seen  like  horses,  that  is,  on  horses 
prepared  for  war,  n.  431,  for  they  had  the  faces  of  men,  as 
follows  ;  and  they  are  in  the  persuasion  that  they  are  invincilile. 

433.  And  their  faces  were  as  the  faces  of  men^  signifies  that 
they  appeared  to  themselves  to  be  wise.  By  man,  in  the  Word, 
is  signified  to  be  wise  and  intelligent,  n.  243 ;  and  by  his  face, 
Avisdom  aiid  intelligence;  hence  it  is,  that  by  their  faces  being 
as  the  faces  of  men,  is  signified  that  they  appeared  to  them- 
selves to  be  wise.  They  are  also  called  wise,  learned,  and  erudite, 
although  they  are  among  the  foolish  virgins,  who  had  no  oil  iu 
their  lamps.  Matt.  xxv.  1,  2.  Oil  signifies  love  and  charity ; 
and  among  the  foolish  means  among  those  who  hear  the  Lord, 
that  is,  read  the  Word,  and  do  not  do  it.  Matt.  vii.  26. 

434.  And  they  had  hhir  as  the  hair  oftoomen,  signifies  that 
they  appeared  to  themselves  to  be  in  the  aflfection  of  truth.  By 
man,  in  tlie  Word,  is  signified  the  understanding  of  truth;  and 
by  woman,  tlie  aft'ection  of  truth,  because  man  by  birth  is  under- 
standing, and  wuujan,  afifection ;  on  which  subject,  see  The 
Treatise  concerning  Conjugial  Love.  By  hair,  in  the  Word,  is 
signified  the  ultimate  of  man's  life,  which  is  the  sensual  principle, 
see  n.  424 ;  this  is  what  gives  them  the  appearance  of  being  in 
the  afiection  of  truth,  when  yet  they  are  in  the  afibction  of  falsity ; 
for  this  they  believe  to  be  truth.  That  a  woman  signifies  the 
affection  of  truth,  may  appear  from  many  passages  in  the  Word ; 
iience  it  is,  that  the  church  is  called  a  wife,  a  woman,  a  daughter, 
and  a  virgin,  the  church  being  a  church  by  virtue  of  the  love 
or  afiection  of  truth  ;  for  from  this  comes  the  understanding  of 
truth.  The  church  is  called  a  woman  in  these  passages  :  "  Tliere 
were  two  women  of  one  mother,  and  they  committed  whoredoms 
hi  Egypt,  Ahola  which  is  Samaria,  and  Aholiba  Avhich  is 
Jerusalem,"  Ezek.  xxiii.  2 — 4.  "  Jehovah  hath  called  thee  as  a 
woman  forsaken  and  grieved  in  spirit,  and  a  wife  of  youth ^^ 
Isaiah  liv.  6,  T.      "  Jehovah  hath  created  a  new  thing  in  the 

321 


435  THE    APOCALYPSE    EETEALED.  [Cliap.  ix. 

■earth,  a  woman  shall  compass  a  man,"  Jerem.  xxxi.  21,  22. 
By  the  woman  clothed  with  the  sun,  whom  the  dragon  per- 
secuted, Apoc.  xii.,  is  signified  the  JSTew  Church,  which  is  the 
New  Jerusalem.  By  women  are  signified  the  aiiections  of 
truth,  by  virtue  of  which  the  church  is  a  church,  in  many  pas- 
sages, as  in  the  following:  "The  women  of  my  people  have  ye 
cast  out  of  their  pleasant  houses,"  Micah  ii.  9.  The  ftimilies 
of  houses  shall  mourn  apart,  and  the  women  apart,  Zech,  xii.  12, 
13.  "  Bise  up,  ye  won^en  that  are  at  ease,  give  ear  unto  my 
speech,"  Isaiah  xxxii.  9.  "  Wherefore  commit  ye  this  great 
evil  to  cut  off  from  you  man  and  woman  V  Jerem.  xliv.  Y.  "I 
will  break  in  pieces  man  and  woman,''''  Jerem.  li,  22.  By  man 
and  woman,  here  and  elsewhere,  is  signified,  in  a  spiritual  sense, 
the  understanding  of  truth,  and  the  afiection  of  truth. 

485.  And  their  teeth  were  as  the  teeth  of  lions,  signifies  that 
sensual  things,  which  are  the  ultimates  of  the  life  of  the  natural 
man,  appeared  with  them  to  have  power  over  all  things.  Teeth 
signify  the  ultimates  of  the  life  of  the  natural  man,  w^iich  are 
called  sensual  things  ;  concerning  which,  see  above,  n.  424. 
Sensual  things  are  of  two  kinds,  one  kind  having  relation  to  the 
will,  and  the  other  to  the  understanding ;  the  sensual  things  of 
the  will  are  signified  by  the  hair  of  wonien,  of  which  above,  n. 
434 ;  and  the  sensual  things  of  the  understanding  are  signified 
by  teeth ;  the  latter,  or  what  is  the  same,  sensual  men  who  are 
in  falses  from  confirmation,  seem  to  themselves  to  be  in  power 
over  all  things,  so  as  to  be  altogether  invincible;  wherefore  the 
teeth  of  the  locusts,  by  which  such  sensual  things  are  signified, 
were  as  the  teeth  of  lions,  for  by  a  lion  is  signified  power,  n.  241. 
Tliat  teeth  signify  the  ultimates  of  man's  life,  wdiich  are  called 
Bensual  things,  and  which,  when  separated  from  the  interiors  of 
the  mind,  are  in  mere  falses,  and  do  violence  to  truths  even  to 
destroying  them,  may  appear  from  the  following  passages  :  "  My 
soul  is  among  lions,  whose  teeth  are  spears  and  arrows,"  Psalm 
Ivii.  4.  "  Break  their  teeth,  O  God,  in  their  mouth,  break  out 
the  great  teeth  of  the  young  lions^^  Psalm  Iviii.  6.  "  For  a 
nation  is  come  up  upon  my  land,  strong, — whose  teeth  are  the 
teeth  of  a  lion,  and  he  hath  the  cheek-teeth  of  a  great  lion^''  Joel 
i.  6.  "  Jehovah  hath  broken  the  teeth  of  the  ungodly,"  Psalm 
iii.  7.  There  came  up  out  of  the  sea  a  beast  dreadful  and  ter- 
rible, and  exceedingly  strong,  which  had  great  iron  teeth,  it 
devoured  and  brake  in  pieces,  Dan.  vii.  7.  "  Blessed  be  Jeho- 
vah, who  hath  not  given  us  a  prey  to  their  teeth,''^  Psalm  cxxiv. 
6.  Since  sensual  men  do  not  see  any  truth  in  its  own  light, 
but  ratiocinate  and  dispute  about  every  thing,  by  questioning  its 
identity  ;  and  since  these  disputes  in  the  hells  are  heard  without 
as  the  gnashing  of  teeth,  being  in  themselves  the  collisions  of 
falsity  and  truth,  it  is  evident  what  is  signified  by  the  gnashing 
of  teeth.  Matt.  viii.  12 ;  xiii.  42,  50 ;  xxii.  13 ;  xxiv.  51 ;  xxv. 
322 


V.  8,  9.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  436,  437 

?>0  ;  Luke  xiii.  28 ;  and  partly  what  by  gnasJting  with  the  teeth. 
Isalin  iii.  7;  Psalm  xxxv.  15,  16;  Psalm  xxxvii,  12;  Psalm 
oxii.  10;  Micali  iii.  5  ;  Lament,  ii.  16. 

436.  And  they  had  hreast-j:>lafes,  as  it  were  hreast-plates  of 
i.'on^  siijuitics  ai'<j^u mentations  from  fallacies,  by  which  they 
tight  and  prevail,  which  apjieared  to  them  so  powerful  that  they 
could  not  be  refuted.  ]3y  breast-plates  are  signified  defences, 
because  they  protect  the  breast ;  here,  defences  of  falsities, 
M'hich  are  effected  by  argumentations  grounded  in  fallacies,  by 
which  a  false  principle  is  defended  ;  for  from  a  false  principle 
nothing  but  falses  can  flow :  if  truths  are  advanced,  they  are 
only  viewed  outwardly  or  superficially,  thus  also  sensually,  and 
are  consequently  falsified,  and,  with  such  persons,  become  fal- 
lacies. The  reason  why  l)reast-plates  have  this  signification, 
is,  because  w^ars,  in  the  Word,  signify  spiritual  wars,  and 
thence  the  implements  of  war  signify  the  various  things  relat- 
ing to  such  wars ;  as  in  Jeremiah :  "  Harness  the  horses  ;  and 
get  up,  ye  horsemen,  and  stand  forth  with  your  helmets ;  fur- 
bish the  spears,  and  put  on  the  Irigandines,^  xlvi.  4.  In  Isaiah: 
"  For  he  put  on  righteousness  as  a  hreast-jplate,  and  an  helmet 
of  salvation  upon  his  head,"  lix.  17.  In  David:  "Under  his 
wings  shalt  thou  trust,  his  truth  shall  be  thy  shield  and 
}>uckler^''  Psalm  xci.  4 ;  besides  other  places ;  as  in  Ezekicl 
xxiii.  24;  xxxviii.  4;  xxxix.  9;  Nahum  ii.  4;  Psalm  v.  12; 
Psalm  xxxv,  2,  3.  Their  breast-plates  being  as  it  were  of  iron, 
signifies  that  their  argumentations  seemed  to  them  so  strong 
that  they  could  not  be  refuted  ;  for  iron,  from  its  hardness,  sig- 
nifies M'hat  is  strong. 

437.  And  the  sound  of  their  wings  loas  as  the  sound  of  cha- 
riots of  many  horses  running  to  hattle,  signifies  their  reasonings 
as  if  they  were  from  truths  of  doctrine  from  the  Word  fully 
understood,  for  which  they  must  ardently  fight.  The  sound  of 
wings  signifies  reasonings,  because  to  fly  signifies  to  perceive 
and  instruct,  n.  245,  415  ;  chariots  signify  doctrinals,  as  will 
be  seen  presently  ;  horses  signify  the  understanding  of  the 
Word,  n.  298  ;  and  many  horses,  what  is  plenary:  that  running 
to  battle  signifies  ardour  for  contest,  is  evident.  That  a  chariot 
signifies  doctrine,  is  plain  from  these  passages  :  "The  chariots 
of  God  are  twenty  thousand  thousands  of  angels,  the  Lord  is 
among  them,"  Psalm  Ixviii.  17.  "  Jehovah  maketh  the  clouds 
his  chariot  y  who  walketh  upon  the  wings  of  the  wind,"  Psalm 
civ.  2,  3.  "  Thou  didst  ride  (O  Jehovah)  upon  thine  horses, 
and  thy  chariots  are  salvation,"  Ilabak.  iii.  8.  "  For  behold, 
Jehovah  will  come  with  fire,  and  with  his  chariots  like  a  whirl- 
wind," Isaiah  Ixvi.  15.  "Thus  shall  ye  be  filled  at  my  table 
with  horses  and  chariots  /  and  I  will  set  my  glory  among  tlie 
heathen,"  Ezek.  xxxix.  20.  "  And  I  will  cut  off  the  cltarioi 
from  Ephraim,  and  the  horse  from  Jerusalem,"  Zech.  ix.  10 

323 


438  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  [Cliap.  IX. 

"  And  I  will  overthrow  the  throne  of  kingdoms,  and  I  will 
overthrow  the  chariots,  and  those  that  ride  in  them,"  Haggai 
ii.  22.  "  Go,  set  a  watchman,  let  him  declare  what  he  seeth  ; 
and  he  saw  a  chariot,  with  a  couple  of  horsemen,  and  a  chariot 
of  camels,  and  a  chariot  of  men,  and  he  said,  Babylon  is  fallen, 
is  fallen,"  Isaiah  xxi.  6 — 8.  And  Elijah  and  Elisha  represented 
the  Lord  as  to  the  Word,  and  thence  signified  doctrine  from 
the  Word,  as  did  all  the  prophets,  n.  8,  therefore  they  were 
called  the  chariots  of  Israel  and  the  horsemen  thereof  j  and  for 
the  same  reason  Elijah  was  seen  taken  into  heaven  in  a  chariot 
of  fire,  and  there  were  seen  by  Elisha's  young  man  chariots  and 
horses  of  fire  round  about  him,  2  Kings  ii.  11,  1-2  ;  vi.  17;  xiii. 
14 ;  besides  other  places  where  chariots  occur ;  as  in  Isaiah 
xxxi.  1 ;  xxxvii.  21: ;  Ixvi.  20  ;  Jerem.  xvii.  25  ;  xxii.  4  ;  xlvi. 
2,  3,  8,  9 ;  1.  37,  38  ;  Ii.  20,  21 ;  Ezek.  xxvi.  7,  8,  10,  11 ;  Dan. 
xi.  40;  Nahum  iii.  1 — 3;  Joel  ii.  1,  2,  5. 

438.  And  they  had  tails  like  unto  scorpions,  signifies  the 
truths  of  the  Word  falsified,  by  means  of  which  they  induce 
stupor.  By  the  tail  is  signified  the  ultimate  of  the  head,  be- 
cause the  brain  is  continued  through  the  back-bone  to  the  tail, 
therefore  the  head  and  tail  make  one,  as  the  first  and  last ; 
when,  therefore,  by  the  head,  faith  alone  justifying  and  saving 
is  signified,  by  tlie  tail  is  signified  the  sum  of  all  the  confirma- 
tions thereof,  which  are  from  the  Word,  thus  wdiich  are  the 
truths  of  the  Word  falsified.  Every  one,  who  from  his  own  in- 
telligence assumes  a  principle  of  religion,  and  establishes  it  as 
the  head,  also  assumes  confiiunations  from  the  Word,  and  makes 
them  the  tail,  thus  induces  a  stupor  upon  others,  and  so  hurts 
them  ;  therefore  it  is  said,  that  "  they  had  tails  like  unto  scor- 
pions ;"  and  presently  after,  "  that  there  were  stings  in  their 
tails,  and  that  their  power  was  to  hurt  men;"  for  by  a  scorpion 
is  signified  the  power  of  persuasion  inducing  stupor  upon  the 
understanding,  n.  425.  That  the  tail  is  a  continuation  of  the 
brain  through  the  back-bone  to  its  termination,  any  anatomist 
w'ill  tell  you ;  or  merely  observe  a  dog  or  any  other  animal  with 
a  tail,  and  encourage  and  coax  him,  and  you  will  see  that  the 
ridge  of  his  back  will  become  smooth,  and  his  tail  move  cor- 
respondently  ;  but  that,  on  the  contrary,  he  will  set  his  back 
up  if  you  provoke  him.  The  primary  tenet  of  the  understand- 
ing, which  is  assumed  as  a  principle  is  signified  by  the  head, 
and  the  ultimate  thereof  by  the  tail,  in  these  passages  also : 
"  Therefore  Jehovah  will  cut  off  from  Israel  head  and  tail,  the 
ancient  and  the  honourable,  he  is  the  head,  and  the  prophet 
that  teacheth  lies,  he  is  the  tail^"^  Isaiali  ix.  14,  15.  Egypt 
fihall  not  have  any  work  to  make  head  and  tail,  Isaiah  xix.  15. 
By  the  seven  heads  of  the  dragon,  and  by  his  tail,  with  which 
he  drew  a  third  part  of  the  stars  of  heaven,  and  cast  them  to 
the  earth,  Apoc.  xii.  4 ;  as  also  by  the  tails  like  serpents,  hav 
324 


V.   9 — 11.]        THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  4-39 

ing  heads  with  which  tliev  do  linrt,  verse  19  of  this  chapter, 
n(»thing  else  is  signified.  Inasmuch  as  by  the  tail  is  signilied 
the  ultimate,  and  the  ultimate  being  the  complex  or  aggregate 
of  all.  therefore  Jehovah  said  to  Moses,  Take  the  serpent  by 
the  tail/  and  he  took  it,  and  it  became  a  rod,  Exod.  iv.  3,  4; 
and  therefore  it  was  commanded,  that  they  should  take  off  the 
tail  entire  near  the  back-bone,  and  sacrifice  it  together  witli  the 
fat  that  was  up^n  the  entrails,  kidneys,  intestines,  and  livei*, 
Levit.  iii.  9—11;  viii.  25;  ix.  19;  Exod.  xxix.  22.  That  the 
ultimate  is  the  continent  and  complex,  or  that  which  contains 
and  comprehends  all  prior  things,  may  be  seen  in  The  Doctrine 
of  the  JYew  Jerusalein  concerning  the  Sacred  Scripture^  n.  38, 
65  ;  and  in  The  Wisdotn  of  Angels  concerning  the  Divine  Love 
and  the  Divine  Wisdom,  n.  209—216,  n.  217—222. 

439.  And  there  were  stings  in  their  tails :  and  their  power 
VMS  to  hurt  rnen  five  months,  signifies  subtle  falsifications  of 
the  AYord,  by  M'hich,  for  a  short  time,  they  darken  and  fasci- 
nate the  understanding,  and  thus  deceive  and  captivate.  By 
stings  rn  their  tails  are  signified  subtle  falsifications  of  the 
"Word ; — by  stings,  subtilty ;  and  by  tails,  the  truths  of  the 
Word  fiilsified,  n.  438.  By  their  power  to  hurt,  is  signified 
that  by  means  of  these  they  can  induce  stupor,  that  is,  they 
can  darken  and  foscmate  the  understanding,  and  thus  deceive 
and  captivate;  for  th»,ir  tails  were  like  scorpions,  and  by  scor- 
pions such  things  are  signified,  n.  425.  By  five  months,  is  sig- 
nified fur  a  short  time,  as  above,  n.  427 :  this  takes  place  when 
they  quote  and  apply  any  thing  from  the  Word ;  for  the  Word 
is  written  according  to  correspondences,  and  correspondences 
are  in  part  appearances  of  truth,  containing  within  them  genu- 
ine truths.  If  these  truths  are  not  known  in  the  church,  many 
things  may  be  taken  from  the  Word,  which  at  first  appear  in 
accordance  with  heresy  ;  but  when  genunie  truths  are  known  in 
the  church,  then  the  appearances  of  truth  are  rendered  mani- 
fest, and  genuine  truths  come  to  view.  But  before  this  is  done, 
a  heretic,  by  various  things  drawn  from  the  Word,  may  obscure 
and  fascinate  the  understanding,  and  thus  deceive  and  capti- 
vate. That  this  is  done  by  those  who  assert  that  man's  sins  are 
remitted,  or,  in  other  words,  that  he  is  justified  by  an  act  of 
faith,  concerning  which  no  one  knows  any  thing,  and  this  in  a 
moment,  and  if  not  before,  even  at  the  hour  of  death,  mi^ht 
be  illustrated  by  examples,  were  this  the  place  to  do  so.  By 
stings  are  signified  falses  of  a  hurtful  nature  derived  from  evil, 
also  in  Amos :  "  Lo,  the  days  shall  come  upon  you,  when  they 
shall  take  you  away  with  stings,''^  iv.  2.  And  in  Moses :  That 
they  should  drive  out  the  inhabitants  of  the  land,  lest  they 
should  be  thorns  in  their  eyes,  and  stings  in  their  sides,  Numb 
xxxiii.  55.  Thorns,  briers,  brambles,  and  thistles,  also  signify 
falses  of  evil,  on  account  of  their  prickles. 
325 


i4:0 142  THE   APOCALYPSE   KEVEALED.  [Chap.  ix. 

440.  And  they  had  a  king  over  them^  the  angel  of  the  hottoni' 
less  pit ;  whose  name  in  the  Hehreiv  tongue  is  Abaddon,  hut  in 
the  Greek  tongue  he  hath  his  name  Apolhjon,  signifies  that  they 
arc  iu  the  satanic  hell  who  are  in  falses  derived  from  concupis- 
cences, and,  by  a  total  falsification  of  the  Word,  have  destroyed 
the  church.  By  their  king,  the  angel  of  the  bottomless  pit,  is 
not  signified  any  angel  who  is  a  king  there,  but  the  false  prin- 
ciple reigning  therein ;  for  by  a  king,  in  a  genuine  sense,  is 
signified  one  who  is  in  truths  from  the  afi'ection  of  good,  and, 
abstractedly,  that  truth  itself,  n.  20 ;  and  thence,  in  the  oppo- 
site sense,  by  a  king  is  signified  one  who  is  in  falses  from  con- 
cupiscence of  evil,  and,  abstractedly,  tl\at  faise  itself.  By  the 
bottomless  pit  is  signified  the  satanic  hell,  where  they  are,  u. 
387,  428  ;  by  name  is  signified  the  quality  of  the  state,  n.  81, 
122,  165  ;  Abaddon,  in  the  Hebrew  tongue,  signifies  a  destroy- 
ing and  a  destroyer ;  so  does  Apollyon,  in  the  Greek  tongue ; 
and  this  is  the  false  principle  in  extreme  or  lowest  principles, 
which,  by  the  total  falsification  of  the  Word,  has  destroyed  the 
church.  By  Abaddon,  in  the  Hebrew  text,  is  signified  destruc- 
tion or  perdition,  in  these  places:  "Shall  thy  laithfulness  be 
declared  in  destruction  V  Psalm  Ixxxviii.  11.  "  Hell  is  naked 
before  him,  and  destruction  hath  no  covering,"  Job  xxvi.  6. 
"  For  it  is  a  fire  that  consumeth  to  destruction^''  Job  xxxi.  12. 
*'  Destruction  and  Death  say,"  Job  xxviii.  22.  In  other  places, 
hell  and  the  devil  are  called  Destruction  or  Perdition,  ante 
J^estroyer,  Isaiah  liv.  16 ;  Ezek.  v.  16 ;  ix.  1 ;  Exod.  xii.  13 ; 
though  another  term  is  used, 

441.  One  woe  is  past  ^  behold,  there  come  two  woes  more  here- 
after, signifies  further  lamentations  over  the  devastation  of 
the  church.  That  woe  signifies  lamentation  over  calamity,  un- 
happiness.  and  damnation,  see  n,  416 ;  here,  then,  by  two 
woes  to  come,  are  signified  further  lamentations  over  the  state 
of  the  church. 

442.  And  the  sixth  angel  sounded,  signifies  the  exph'i'ation 
and  manifestation  of  their  state  of  life  in  the  reformed  church 
who  are  not  so  wise,  and  yet  place  the  all  of  religion  in  faith, 
and  think  of  it  alone  and  of  nothing  beyond  it,  and  the  custom- 
ary worship,  and  so  live  as  they  like.  That  these  are  treated 
of  to  the  end  of  this  chapter,  will  appear  from  the  explanation 
of  what  follows.  That  to  sound  signifies  to  explore  and  lay 
open  the  state  of  the  church,  and  thence  of  the  life  of  those 
whose  religion  consists  in  faith  alone,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  397. 

"  These  who  are  now  treated  of,  are  altogether  distinct  from 
those  referred  to  thus  far  in  this  chapter,  the  falses  of  whose 
faith  were  seen  in  the  form  of  locusts :  this  is  the  ground  of 
distinction  ;  the  latter,  or  those  already  described,  are  studious 
in  exploring  the  arcana  of  justification  by  faith,  and  also  in 
giving  the  signs  of  it,  and  its  testimonies,  which,  with  them. 
326 


r.  11 — 14.]       THE  APOCALYrSE  KEVEALED.  443,  444 

are  the  goods  of  moral  and  civil  life  ;  insisting  that  the  precepts 
of  the  Word  are  indeed  in  tlieniselves  divine,  out  that  witli  man 
they  become  natural,  because  they  proceed  from  liis  will,  and 
have  no  conjunction  with  his  spiritualities  of  faith  ;  and  because 
they  confirm  these  things  by  rational  considerations,  which 
sav(.>ur  of  erudition,  they  dwell  in  the  southern  cpiarter  of  the 
bottomless  pit,  according  to  the  description  above,  n.  421.  But 
they  who  are  treated  of  in  what  follows  to  the  end  of  the  chap- 
ter, do  not  study  those  arcana,  but  only  make  bare  faith  the 
all  of  religion,  and  nothing  besides  it  and  the  customary  wor- 
ship, and  so  live  at  their  ease.  I  have  been  j)ermitted  to  see 
and  converse  with  these  also;  they  live  in  the  northern  quarter, 
in  huts  that  are  scattered  about,  and  constructed  of  reeds  and 
rushes  plastered  over  with  lime,  without  any  floor  but  the 
f^round.  The  more  ingenious,  M'ho,  by  means  of  natural  light^ 
know  how  to  establish  that  faith  by  reasonings,  and  can  prove 
that  it  has  nothing  at  all  to  do  with  life,  dwell  in  front,  the 
more  simple  behind  them,  and  the  more  stupid  toward  the 
western  part  of  that  tract:  tlie  multitude  of  them  is  so  great 
that  it  is  incredible.  They  are  instructed  by  angelic  spirits,  but 
they  who  do  not  receive  the  truths  of  faith,  and  live  according 
to  them,  are  let  down  into  the  hell  which  is  under  them,  and 
confined  there." 

443.  A7id  I  heard  a  voice  from  the  four  horns  of  the  golden 
altar  wldch  is  hefore  God,  saying  to  the  sixth  angel  which  had 
the  trumpet,  signifies  a  command  from  the  Lord  out  of  the 
spiritual  heaven  to  those  who  were  to  explore  and  make  mani- 
fest. By  a  voice  is  signified  a  divine  command;  by  the  golden 
altar,  or  altar  of  incense,  is  signified  the  spiritual  iieaven, 
n.  277,  392 ;  by  the  four  horns  of  that  altar  is  signified  its 
power,  n.  270 ;  here,  the  power  of  loosing  the  four  angels 
bound  at  the  river  Euphrates,  as  follows  :  by  the  sixth  angel 
who  had  the  trumpet,  is  signified  to  those  to  whom  the  oftice 
of  exploring  and  laying  open  these  things  was  committed,  n. 
442. 

444.  Loose  the  four  angels  that  are  hound  at  the  great  river 
EujjJirates,  signifies  that  external  restraints  should  l)e  removed 
from  them,  that  the  interiors  of  their  minds  might  appear. 
That  this  is  the  signification  of  these  w^ords,  no  one  can  Icnow, 
and  scarcely  can  suspect,  nnless  he  knows  what  is  meant  by  the 
great  river  Euphrates,  and  what  by  the  four  angels  bound  there. 
By  Euphrates,  in  the  Word,  are  signified  the  interiors  of  man's 
mind,  which  are  called  things  rational,  wliicli,  with  those  wlio 
are  in  truths  derived  from  good,  are  full  of  wisdom,  but  in  tlioso 
wlio  are  in  falses  derived  from  evil,  are  full  of  insanity.  The 
reason  why  these  are  signified  in  the  Word  by  the  river  Euphra- 
tes, is,  because  tliat  river  divided  the  land  of  Canaan  from 
Assyria ;  and  by  the  land  of  Canaan  was  signified  the  church : 

327 


444  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Chap.  IX. 

and  by  Assyria,  its  rational  principle  ;  and  thence  by  the  river 
Avhich  bounded  it,  are  signiiied  the  interiors  of  the  mind  which 
are  called  things  rational,  in  both  senses :  for  there  are  three 
things  which  constitute  a  man  of  the  chm'ch,  the  spiritual  prin- 
ciple, the  rational  or  intellectual,  and  the  natural,  which  is  also 
the  scientific.  The  spiritual  principle  of  the  church  was  signi- 
fied by  the  land  of  Canaan  and  its  rivers ;  the  rational  or  intel- 
lectual principle  of  the  church,  by  Asliur  or  Assyria  and  its 
liver  Euphrates  ;  and  the  natural,  wdiich  is  also  the  scientific 
principle  of  the  church,  by  Egypt  and  its  river  Nile  :  but  con- 
cerning these  more  may  be  seen  below,  n.  503.  By  the  four 
angels  bound  at  the  river  Euphrates,  are  signified  those  inte- 
riors with  the  men  of  the  church  which  are  said  to  be  bound, 
because  they  are  not  openly  avowed  ;  for  they  are  infernal 
spirits,  who  are  meant  by  these  four  angels,  since  it  is  said  of 
them,  in  what  follows,  n.  446,  that  they  were  prepared  to  kill 
the  third  part  of  men,  and  the  interiors  of  men  make  one  with 
spirits,  either  infernal  or  celestial,  because  they  cohabit:  by 
loosing  them  is  signified  to  remove  external  restraints,  that  the 
interiors  of  their  minds  may  aj^pear.  Such  is  the  signification 
of  these  words.  By  Euphrates  are  signified  the  interiors  of 
man's  mind  bordering  upon  or  bounding  the  spiritual  things  of 
liis  church,  as  may  appear  from  those  places  in  the  AYord  where 
Ashur  or  Assyria  is  mentioned  ;  but  Euphrates  occurs  in  an 
opposite  sense,  in  which  it  signifies  the  interiors  full  of  falses 
and  thence  of  insanities,  in  these  passages  :  "  Behold  the  Lord 
bringeth  up  npon  them  the  waters  of  the  rivei^  strong  and  many, 
even  the  hmg  of  Assyria.  And  he  shall  pass  through  Judali; 
he  shall  overflow,  and  go  over,"  Isaiah  viii.  7,  8.  "•  And  now 
what  hast  thou  to  do  in  the  way  of  Egypt,  to  drink  the  waters 
of  Sihor  ?  or  what  hast  thou  to  do  with  the  way  of  Assyria^ 
that  thou  shouldest  drink  the  waters  of  the  river  f  Jerem.  ii. 
18.  "And  Jehovah  shall  utterly  destroy  the  tongue  of  the 
Egyptian  sea ;  and  shake  his  hand  over  the  river  Euphrates^'* 
Isaiah  xi.  15.  "  And  the  sixth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon 
the  great  river  Eujyhrates,  and  the  water  thereof  was  dried  up," 
Apoc.  xvi.  12.  The  prophet  was  commanded  to  put  a  girdle 
upon  his  loins,  and  to  hide  it  afterwards  in  a  hole  of  a  rock 
beside  tlie  Euphrates,  and  after  a  short  time  when  he  took  it, 
behold  it  was  rotten,  nor  was  it  useful  for  any  thing,  Jerem. 
xiii.  1 — 7,  11.  And  he  was  also  commanded,  when  he  had 
done  reading  the  Book,  to  cast  it  into  the  midst  of  the  Euphra- 
tes^ and  to  say,  Thus  shall  Babylon  sink,  and  not  rise  again, 
Jerem.  li.  63,  6i  ;  by  these  things  were  represented  the  inte- 
riors of  the  state  of  the  church  with  the  children  of  Israel. 
That  the  river  of  Egypt,  the  Nile,  and  the  river  of  Assyria,  the 
Euphrates,  were  the  boundaries  of  the  land  of  Canaan,  appears 
from  this  passage :  "  Jehovah  made  a  covenant  with  Abram, 
328 


V    ]-i 16  J        THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         44,")_447 

t^Jiyinp^,  Unto  tliy  seed  ^vill  I  o;ive  this  land,  from  t/ie  ri'er  of 
K'jypt  unto  the  great  river  Enplirates^''  Gen.  xv,  18.  That  tho 
Euphrates  Avas  a  boundary,  may  be  seen,  Exod.  xxiii.  31 ;  Deut. 
i.  7,  8 ;  xi.  2-i  ;  Joshua  i.  4;  Micuh  vii.  12. 

445.  And  the  four  angels  were  loosed,  signifies  that  wlien 
external  restraints  were  removed,  the  interiors  of  their  minds 
api^eared.     This  follows  from  what  was  said  above. 

446.  Who  iverc  jjrejjared  for  an  hour,  and  a  day,  and,  a 
month,  and  a  year,  to  slay  the  third  j^^'t  of  men,  signifies  that 
the}'  were  perpetually  in  the  effort  to  take  away  spiritual  light 
and  life  from  men  of  the  church.  Being  prepared  signifies  to 
be  in  the  endeavour;  by  an  hour,  a  day,  a  month,  and  a  year, 
is  signified  continually  and  perpetually,  in  like  manner  as  by 
at  all  times;  to  slay  signifies  to  take  away  spiritual  light  and 
life  from  men  of  the  church,  n.  325  ;  and  the  third  part  signi- 
fies all,  n.  400. 

447.  And  the  number  of  the  armies  of  horsemen  were  two 
myriads  of  myriads,  signifies  reasonings  concerning  faith  alone, 
with  which  the  interiors  of  their  minds  were  filled,  from  the 
great  abundance  of  mere  falses  of  evil.  By  armies  are  signi- 
fied goods  and  truths  ;  and,  in  the  opposite  sense,  evils  and 
falses  ;  here,  the  falses  of  evil,  of  whicii  below.  By  horsemen 
are  signified  reasonings  concerning  faith  alone ;  because  by  a 
horse  is  signified  the  understanding  of  the  AVord,  n.  298  ;  and 
also  the  understanding  of  the  Word  destroyed,  n.  305,  312, 
321  ;  therefore  by  horsemen  are  signified  reasonings  from  the 
understanding  of  the  Word  destroyed  :  in  the  present  instance, 
concerning  faith  alone;  because  they  who  are  principled  therein 
are  treated  of.  By  two  mja-iads  of  myriads  are  not  meant  the 
precise  number,  but  a  great  abundance ;  two  are  mentioned, 
because  two  are  predicated  of  good,  and,  in  the  opposite  sense, 
of  evil,  n.  322 ;  and  myriads  are  predicated  of  truths,  and,  in 
the  opposite  sense,  of  falses,  n.  336.  Hence  it  may  be  seen, 
that  by  the  number  of  the  armies  of  horsemen,  two  myriads  of 
myriads,  are  signified  reasonings  concerning  faith  alone,  Avith 
wliich  the  interiors  of  their  minds  were  filled,  from  the  great 
abundance  of  mere  ftilses  of  evil.  That  by  armies,  in  tlio 
AVord,  are  signified  the  goods  and  truths  of  heaven  and  the 
church,  and,  in  the  opposite  sense,  evils  and  falses,  may  apjK'ar 
from  those  places  where  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars,  are  called 
armies  or  hosts  ;  and  by  the  sun  is  signified  the  good  of  love  ; 
by  the  moon,  the  truth  of  faith  ;  and  by  the  stars,  knowledges 
of  what  is  good  and  true ;  and  the  contrary,  in  the  opposite 
sense,  n.  51,  53,  332,  413  ;  both  the  former  and  the  latter  are 
called  armies  or  hosts,  in  these  passages  :  "  Praise  Jehovah  all 
ye  his  //o.s'^.S',  praise  ye  him  sun  and  moon,  praise  him  all  ye  stars 
of  light,"  Psalm  cxlviii.  2,  3.  "My  hands  have  stretched  onl 
the  heavens,  and  all  \\\Q\vhost  have  I  commanded,"  Isaiah  xlv 

329 


4IH,   III)  Tlim    AI'nttAI.VI'Mlil    l«ir,Vli:AI,lilh,  |  ( 'lill|».  U, 

\'^      "  M,v  ilii>  W'trij  It!'  .ItiJitiviiJi  wt'i't'  llin  li.'iiM'iirt  iiiiHJc,  mill 

nil   llli>  flilH(  ijf'  f/lrllh    lt,V   Mil'  lll'i'lllll  III'  III"   lilMiilli,"    I'miiIiii    shhIII 
(I,      'i'lin   lioMVKliM   iiihI  IIikimmIIi  wiM'n   IIiiImIiuiI,  ninl  nil  IIik   ,'iii»f 
•yVAi'///,  <  Ion.  11.    1.      'I'Ihi  Ihmii  III'  lliii    (null   ji'l'i'W   iMoii   "Id  lliK 

Inmf  ((f  /tt^itVt^H^  \\\n\  III  (HIkI  ili'wii  Miiiiii'  III'  lliK  /toMf  iiiiil  "I  III.. 

Nldl'N    III    llt*«   ^'I'llllllll,    .yi'llt    III'    lllll^^^llillnil     llllliniiir  oVi'll    III    illi> 

|iriii(>n  III'  iJio  /nmtt  Hiiil  III!  /iitd  wiiw  ^i'lvnii  liliii  n^'ulni*!'  Il'^' 
ihilly  NiliM'llli'n  li_v  I'lMiiioii  i.r  Iiiiiim|jJ'iimmIiiu,  iiihI  II  I'lml  ilnwii  ilio 
ji'iilli   1,1)  iliii  (j'i'iitiiiil  ,   III.  II  I  lii'iinl   iiiiK  Fiiiliil  it|ii'iiUii/t,   lliiw 

iiill^'    Im   lln     I'liiii'llllll'V   illlil    llin  /h^f  In   lii«  Iniil.li'll  limli'l'   I'linl f 

|)ii.ii,  viii  III  II.  '' ,li>liii\  nil  mIiiiII  iilliM' liiit  viiliMi  IioI'iu'm  liln 
(*ry/<///' »lin'l  III  II'     ' '"  ''lo  li.iiiii.>  ln|M  llipy  iiU'i'i'i'il  liii'Kiiwn  lit 

Itll    itlU   /(H.y<'  «/(7(t'lM'f'/(,  .liMlMII.    sis.    l;!  I.""l     lllnll    WMl'pllljl  Mini 

Wtirvn  llin  Willi,  llin  IIUMHI,  llm  i>iImi'p<,  Jiinl  mH  iIh'  /titftf  iif  /(f'iM'(^/«, 
I  hull.  Iv.  II);  M'll,  Ml  .Iki'imii.  vIII.  tl;  in  lilo>  niiiiiiinr  In  Imihili 
nIII,  «|.  I  nhhIv.  4. 1  h\,  VIII;  .Imviii.  hxkIII.  VIM;  /ncli.   \\.   \t\\ 

/\|im.  vK  I  I  llniMlllMn  llin  IiurI  nl'  liniivnil  Fil(ilillln«  llin  (j;iiiii|b 
IIHij  liiilliM  III  iii'iivmi  Hllil  llin  rlllicnll,  llii'lnl'iun  llin  linl'il  In 
nilllnil  ./i7(n»"i»/<  Mmwlh^  llml  In,  •Inlmviili  nl'  lint=)lM  i  iiinl,  I'm'  lli»' 
l«Hllin   rmittiiii,  llin    iiiIiiImII'V  nl'  llin    hnvllnrt  Wlin   niillnil    nii/lf^tr}^ 

m'i*hu\  Niiiiili.  Iv.  !l,  UtI.  hu,  MIM  uiiil  It  l»  wi'lllnii  in  |)iivlil: 
»*  lllnBtt  .Inliiiviili,  nil  ,vn  lil«  fuuitu,  y\\  liiliilMlnrFJ  nl'  IiIm  lliiif  iln  liln 
|ilntiim'n,"  Pmiliii  nll'i.  V!L  Mvllw' iiinl  I'lil^nw  In  llin  nliiirnli  lire 
wi|illillnil  In  lilllllll  li,V  llin  itrtlH/  ijf' f/h>  (i'i>hfll>>ft,  ss\\\' ,  )i  \  Mini 
hv  llin  iinilt/  III'  llin'  Mll^!,'  Ill'  llin  linl'lll,  wllli  wlilnli  lin  («llim\ 
nj'iiilnwl  llin  Lliip;  nl' llm  smitli,  Dun,  \l,  IM,  Ih,  MH,  'riinklnnnl 
llni  iiiii'lli  I'l  llin  I'iiUm  III'  nvll  in  llin  nlinmli,  imhI  llm  Miip;  nl'  llm 
Kiiiitli  111  lliK  li  iilli  111'  (iiiiitl  llinrn.  Il  Im  niiltl  liy  llm  Imril.  "  \Minn 
vn  nliiill  i4iM>  .liMiiF4iilnin  nnnilitinF)nil  will)  >ti'mn'(t^  llinii  Knnw  lliiil 
llio  ilnMnliilliiii  llini'nnr  If4  lil^^il,'*  lillKn  MhI.  UO.  H,V  .Inritniilnin 
In  lini'n  Ml^Jiilltml  llin  nlinrnli,  iiiiil  li,V  HI'inlnFi  llin  (>vllit  iiinl  \\\\ao^ 
wlilnli  wmilil  liiv  II  wiiMin'  N|iniiKln(j;  nl'  llm  nnnnninninllnn  nl' 
llm  \\m\  wlilnli  i'm  llm  IiifjI  llnin  nl'  llm  nlniinli  liMlii  iiinl  I'lilMns 
HI'n  Bl^lllllnil  li,V  III!  iM'inv.  In  •InnI  l  '•  Ami  I  will  I'nfilnl'n  In  vnii 
llni  vniil'F*  lliiii  ll>>>  l<><  mil  liiilli  niitnii,  llm  nilliKni'Wnrni,  llm 
ntilni'|»niiu',  mill  llm  |iiiliimr  wni'in,  m,y  ^wwl  tinnu^  wlilnli  I 
Pinni  iininiiH'  vmi/"  H.  y^.  Tlinl,  h,V  IIh'  ImMlwIi  llinl  llin  nllim 
llilny,M  U  pljinltli'il  llm  flilnn  In  nslrnnm  nr  Inwnwl  prlimljilnfi,  Mnn 
ulinvn,  II,  I'M 

IIM  Aihl  I  lh'\\v\i  ifh'  tnunh^i't^f'  (Ihm^  Blu'iilllnB  lliiil  llm 
(|niilllv  nl'  lliniii  Wilw  |»(>r(«nlvnil,  wlilnli  Wii^  iVrt  rnllnWf*.  Tn  Imiii^ 
wl^inlllnn  In  |<nrnnlvn;  nnnilmi'  pt();nllln>i  llm  (|inilll  v  iinil  Hlnlnnl' 
a  tiling',  n.  ll',  MIH,  Mill  i  II  ilmmlnM  llm  i|niilll\  i.l'  llmli-  Hinin, 
HH  y;ivnM  Imlnw,  Imniinnn  It  U  (Inwni'llnMl  in  wlml  imw  I'nllnWH, 
wlini'nl\n>n  ll,  U  Nilil,  Anil  ihm  I  «»w. 

I  ll>.  And  thm  / .<•<»<>  //»»'  /unwii  h^  ih vminu  umi  (hm  ihm 
m(  i*n  th*my  ntfinllln'4  llinl  limn  ll  wiirt  dUnnvnrnil  llnil  llm  n'U- 
uniiinu'w  nl'  lln»  inlnitniR  nl'  llmir  inlinls  nnimnrnliiji^,'  Oillli  iilniu'^ 


V.  hi,  17. 1 


rni'    A!VH',\t,Yrp|ii  iti'VirAiirn. 


441) 


Wt'io  iiiui.",iniirv  iiikI  v  ftinimi'v,  ninl  lliiil  lliov  tIi»>iUMi>Iv(>M  wci'o 
in  I'll  I  mil  CI  I  willi  iIhmm.     Tn  m(>(<  Bi^iiillrH  IimIi^^ciiv  cr  llii'ir  i|iiiilil  v; 

1)_V    Imt'HI'N    llt'O     MJ^tliltl'il    tlli>    I'lMIMIIIlin^'M    III'    llli>    illll'I'illl-M    \\\'    lllril' 

nilmU  rniM'itrniii^  lailli  iilnm*  ;  in  lln>  piom'til  ciihc,  imiiuiimrv 
Mini  viHiiiiiiiiv  iciHoiiin^H,  Iiociiihh  il  in  miiil,  lliiil  lii>  miw  llicni  in 
vininn.  Mv  ilium*  lluil.  Nil  on  ImrncM  ni'n  NiMnillctl  wni'li  im  iii'o 
inli>llii<i>nl  iVnni  \\\o  WuimI  nndri'Mlnitil,  Inil  m<n>,  Hin<li  im  iii-c  In- 
riilinilt>il  Ity  imiij';iniii'v  iinti  viHiuniirv  nnlimiM,  wliicli  iiit' cnnli'iii'V 
III  tln<  W'lii'il.  Itoi'iinHo  lln*  inliMini'M  nf  lln>ii'  ininilM  ii|i|inMnM| 
\inilt»r  Hncli  I'nrnH  im  Hi^nil'v  innij'ininv  iiinl  \  i'^innniv  rciHunin^M 
rntn'iM'nin^  I'liilli  iilnin^u  Tew  uriliiMu,  \\liii>li  I  liino  hninl  iVinit 
lln>ii'ii\vn  ninnlliM,  mIuiII  Iik  nnnln  jinlilir  ;  tlnii,  \\w  in<9liin(M^! 
"  WiiH  nnl  liiilli  iiloni',  iil'lni'  ihn  ^';iii'vitnM  I'lill  ul'  nuin,  nnnlt'  lln» 
inilv  incxiintn  nf  Miilviilinn  /  llnw  run  \\(<  m|i|hmii'  Im'Tui')'  (  )im| 
williiMil  llnit  iMtMlinin  V  U  il  iidI  Ihn  only  tni>ilinni  ^  \vv  \vn 
niil  liorn  in  Min^,  uml  in  nul  nni-  iniinn*  i>nlii'i>h'  I'lni  iiphMl  liy 
Iho  li'iiny/nrMMiMii  <>{'  Ailiini  i  ( 'iin  tlii-ip  \)o  any  tillM>r  nn'iinM  nl' 
Itrin^  lu'iilt'tl  linl  hy  Inilli  iilnimtf  WInil.  ciin  nni'  wmkH  nintii- 
lnil(<  liiwUfiU  lliiH  y  WIni  (Min  (in  Hliy  ^immI  worK  iVnni  liinMi'll', 
wliii  Clin  loiril'v,  I'm'^i vn,  inHlily,  iiml  huvo  liiinKcH'/  I  Jupm  llmin 
nni  linK.  ih  I'vci'V  woilv  lliiil  nnin  ilncn  iVnni  liinmclf,  nciil  iinij 
HcH  lifrlilciiimiMNM  J  And  il",  I  III  Illy,  wn  hIiihiIiI  iIh  luiy  iJiiiifr  1 1  nit 
\yiin  f^'xid,  I'liiilil  \yi>  (III  nil,  Mill  I  I'lillll  I  lie  lii\y  V  IIi'miiIo^,  if  niiy 
ntin  hIiim  ii^riiiiiHl  min  ciMiiniiiiiilnii'iil,  lii<  hIiim  ii^'iiiimr  nil,  Imm'hiimm 
llicy  ciiln'n*.  Wliy  <litl  llin  IjihiI  citiiin  injii  llic  \yitilil,  iiml 
HiiU'cf  Pit  f/iicviin«ly  nil  Ilii>  crivM,  lull.  In  liilu»  iiwiiy  IVnm  im 
iliininiiliiin  iiml  llic  cnrin  ul'  llm  huy,  |o  n>(>nn('iln  Ouil  llic  ji'ii- 
llirr,  mill  lipr.imi'  niPiil  iiimI  i  i^illiMMlHIMWM  nlnlli',  \ylii('li  niijrlil 
itn  inimilcil  In  ninn  llii-nii^ili  liiilli  I  nllii<i'\yiMi>,  \yliiil  ^ninil  end 
cniild  lin  MiiMWcrnd  l»y  liirt  cnniinir'/  Hin('(»,  I  licii,  ( 'IhImI  HiiU'd'cd 
Ini'  IH,  iind  rnlllllcd  tlio  low  I'nf  iim,  iiiid  Innk  iiwiiy  ilH  ri^dil  of 
rnndoiiiniilinii,  run  evil,  in  lITm  cimn,  iiiiy  Inti^ni'  ('niidcnin,  mid 

•  'Mil     ^nnij     P/iyn    IIH  ?    lIllMcrnCo    \Vi>    wlin     llMV«»     ruilll,    |M'n    ul      lllll 

liliorly  In  lliiiiK,  will,  Fi|t('(ik,  mid  {\n  wlmlcy«M*  \vn  plmiHt',  pin- 
vidod  \vc  dn  nil  iiijiiiy  In  niir  i'n|iiiliiliiiii,  liiiiiniir,  mid  inlnn^nt, 
nnr  Incur  llic  |lcllllllic^  nl'  llip  ciyll  l/iw,  \yliicli  symild  Im  ii  dlw- 
fn'iicc  mid  liiirl  In  iih."     Sihmc,  wlin  wmidci'  riiilli(>r  imclli,  Hiiid, 

"  Tliiil    j^ I   \yiirl(M,  \yliic|i  m'c  dnim   (or  ||ii«  miikn  nl"  Miiiviilion, 

i\vt\  liiirH'iil,  |icrnicinim,  mid  ciii'mciI  ;"  mimii^ir  ||i(<Mt>,  nhu,  llinrtt 
were  Hoiiic  TrcMliylcrM.  'I'Iicmc  lliin/i;^  lu'c  wliiH  I  IhiimI,  I  hi  I  I  liny 
inninlilcd  mid  iniillcrcil  nimiy  innrc,  wdiicli  I  did  iml  In m.  I'liny 
i<|inl(c,  hIpii,  itiilcciMilly  vvilli  nil  licciilimiHiicHM,  mid  vvcrc  IiipcI' 
viniiM,  linlli  III  wiirth  mid  iiclinim,  willimil  Icnr  Inr  miy  vyickod 
deed,  cxcejil,  olll  nl'  pl'clelicc,  I'nr  llie  Hllke  of  iippeiirilifr  liniM»«(,. 
Knell  lire  llie  inlerioiM  of  llie  mind,  mid  llieiice  llie  exlerior^  nl' 
llie  liody  ol'  lliimc,  wlin  pince  ||ie  nil  nl*  relij.rin||  ill  riiilll  lllnne. 
I'llil  nil  tlmmt  IIiiii^m,  wliicli  were  iillered  liy  llieiii,  I'lill  In  IImi 
grnlind,   if   llie    liiii'd    IliliiMeU'      llii*   Siivioiir       i^    I  in  iiiiMliiilit|  y   |(p 


450  THE   APOCALYPSE   KEVEALED.  [Clia]).  ix. 

proaeliecl,  and  believed  in,  and  good  is  done,  each  for  the  sake 
of  salvation,  and  by  man  as  from  himself,  with  a  belief,  how 
ever,  that  it  is  from  the  Lord :  unless  these  things  are  done  as 
by  man,  neither  faith  nor  charity  can  be  given  at  all ;  nor,  con 
sequently,  can  religion  nor  salvation. 

450.  Having  hrea8t-])lates  of  fire,  and  of  jacinth,  and  ofhrim- 
stone,  signifies  their  imaginary  and  visionary  argumentationa 
from  infernal  love  and  self-derived  intelligence,  and  the  concn- 
piscences  thenee  proceeding.  By  breast-plates  are  signified 
argumentations,  by  which  they  fight  for  faith  alone,  n.  436  ;  by 
fire  is  signified  celestial  love,  and  in  the  opposite  sense,  infernal 
love,  n.  452,  465,  495  ;  by  jacinth  is  signified  intelligence  from 
sipiritual  love,  and,  in  the  opposite  sense,  intelligence  from  in- 
fernal love,  which  is  self-derived  intelligence,  of  which  below ; 
and  by  brimstone  is  signified  concupiscences  derived  from  that 
love  through  self-intelligence,  n.  452  :  hence  it  follows,  that  by 
breast-plates  of  fire,  of  jacinth,  and  of  brimstone,  such  things 
are  signified.  The  reason  why  their  argumentations  in  favour 
of  faith  alone  are  thus  described,  is,  because  all  they  who  believe 
themselves  justified,  that  is,  absolved  from  sin,  by  faith  alone, 
never  think  of  repentance  ;  and  an  impenitent  man  is  in  mere 
sins,  and  all  sins  are  derived  from,  and  thence  partake  of  the 
nature  of  infernal  love,  of  self-intelligence,  and  the  concupis- 
cences springing  from  them ;  and  they  who  are  principled  in 
these  things,  not  only  act  from  them,  but  also  speak,  yea,  think 
and  will,  and  consequently  reason  and  argue  from  them ;  these 
constitute,  indeed,  the  very  man,  because  they  are  his  very  life; 
but  then  a  man  devil,  and  an  infernal  life.  They  who  live  a 
moral  life,  only  for  the  sake  of  themselves  and  the  world,  do  not 
know  this;  the  reason  is,  because  their  interiors  are  infernal, 
whilst  their  exteriors  are  similar  to  the  exteriors  of  those  who 
live  a  Christian  life:  let  them  know,  however,  that  every  one, 
when  he  dies,  comes  into  his  interiors,  because  he  becomes  a  spirit, 
this  being  the  internal  man  ;  and  then  the  interiors  accommodate 
the  exteriors  to  themselves,  and  they  become  alike  :  wherefore 
the  morality  of  their  life  in  the  world  then  becomes  as  the  scales 
of  fishes  which  are  wiped  away.  The  case  is  quite  different  with 
those  wdio  hold  the  precepts  of  moral  life  to  be  divine,  and  then 
those  also  of  a  civil  nature,  by  reason  of  their  having  relation  to 
love  towards  the  neighbour.  A  jacinth  signifies  intelligence 
derived  from  spiritual  love,  because  its  colour  partakes  of  the 
redness  of  fire  and  the  whiteness  of  light ;  and  by  fire  is  signi- 
fied love  ;  and  by  light,  intelligence  :  this  intelligence  is  signi- 
fied by  blue  in  the  coverings  and  vails  of  the  tabernacle,  Exod. 
xxvi.  31,  36 ;  xxvii.  16  ;  in  Aaroii's  ephod,  Exod.  xxviii.  6, 
15  ;  by  the  cloth  of  hlue  or  hyacinth  which  was  placed  over  the 
ark,  the  table,  the  candlestick,  and  the  altar,  when  they  jour- 
neyed, Numb.  iv.  6,  Y,  9,  11,  12  ;  by  i\\Q  friiige  of  blue  thread 
332 


V.   17.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  45 J 

on  the  borders  of  their  garments,  IS^unib.  xv.  38,  39  ;  and  by 
the  hyacintliiiie  or  blue  colour,  in  Ezekiel  xxvii.  7,  24.  But 
intelligence  derived  from  the  affection  of  infernal  love,  is  signi- 
fied by  blue  in  Ezekiol :  Aholah,  or  Samaria,  played  the  harlot, 
and  doted  on  her  lovers,  the  neighbouring  Assyrians,  clothed  in 
blue,  hoi-semen  riding  upon  horses,  xxiii.  i- — 6 :  hereby  the 
church  is  described,  which,  by  reasoniiigs  from  self-derived  in- 
telligence, had  falsified  the  truths  of  the  Word.  And  in  Jere- 
miah :  "  Vn\t  they  are  altogether  brutish  and  foolish  :  the  stock 
is  a  doctrine  of  vanities.  Silver  spread  into  plates  is  brought 
from  Tarshish,  the  work  of  the  workmen  and  of  the  hands  of 
the  founder,  hlue  and  purple  is  their  clothing,  they  are  all  the 
work  of  the  wise,"  x.  8,  9.  The  work  of  the  workmen  and  of 
the  hands  of  the  founder,  and  all  the  work  of  the  Avise,  signify, 
in  this  passage,  that  they  were  the  offspring  of  self-derived  in- 
telligence. 

451,  And  the  heads  of  the  Jwrses  loere  as  the  heads  oflions^ 
signifies  phantasies  concerning  faith  alone,  as  if  it  were  in  power. 
By  heads  are  signified  the  imaginary  and  visionary  notions 
about  faith  alone,  with  those  who  are  here  treated  of  collectively, 
which  are  called  phantasies;  by  horses  are  signified  the  reason- 
ings of  the  interiors  of  their  minds,  which  are  such,  n.  449  ;  by 
lions  are  signified  power,  n.  241 ;  but  then  it  is  power  from  fal- 
lacies, inasmuch  as  they  are  sensual,  and  the  sensual  reason  from 
fallacies,  by  which  they  persuade  and  captivate,  n.  424.  That 
their  arguments  in  favour  of  faith  alone  are  imaginary  and 
visionary,  any  one  ma}^  see,  who  elevates  his  mind  a  little. 
What  are  faith  in  act  and  faith  in  state,  as  conceived  by  them, 
but  visionary  things  ?  Who  is  there  among  them  that  knows 
any  thing  concerning  faith  in  act;  and  what  avails  faith  in  state, 
when  no  good  enters  from  man  into  faith  in  act?  What  is 
remission  of  sins  and  consequent  momentaneous  salvation,  but 
a  result  of  visionary  thought?  That  it  is  the  fiery  flying  serpent 
in  the  church,  see  The  Wisdom  of  Angels  concerning  the  Divine 
Providence,  n.  340.  What  is  the  conceit  of  immunity,  merit, 
righteousness,  and  sanctification  by  imputation,  but  a  visionary 
thing?  see  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the 
Lord,  n.  18.  What  is  the  Divine  Operation  in  internals,  without 
man's  co-operation  in  externals  as  i'rom  himself?  For  to  sepa- 
i-ate  the  internal  from  the  external  so  that  there  can  be  no  con- 
junction of  them,  is  merely  visionary,  see  below,  n.  606.  Such 
a  visionary  thing  is  faith  separated  from  charity  ;  for  charity  in 
works  is  the  verj''  foundation  and  continent  of  faith ;  it  is  it3 
ground  and  soil,  also  its  essence  and  life  ;  in  a  word,  faith  from 
charity  constitutes  a  man  ;  but  faith,  without  charity,  is  a  spec- 
tre, and  a  creature  of  the  imagination,  like  a  bubble  of  water 
floating  in  the  air.  But  perhaps  some  may  say.  If  you  remove 
the  understanding  from  faith,  you  will  not  see  visionary  things ; 
333 


i52j  453  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         [Chap.  iX. 

but  be  it  known,  that  he  who  can  remove  the  understanding 
from  faith,  may  obtrude  a  thousand  visionary  tilings  upon  every 
religious  tenet,  as  has  been  done  for  ages  past  by  the  Roman 
Catholics. 

452.  And  out  of  their  mouths  issued  Jlre,  and  smoke,  and 
hrhnstone,  signifies  that  in  their  thoughts  and  discourses,  viewed 
interiorly,  there  is  nothing,  and  from  them  there  proceeds 
nothing  but  the  love  of  self  and  of  lhe  world,  which  is  the  pro- 
prium  or  selfhood  of  the  will ;  the  pride  of  self-derived  intelli- 
gence, which  is  the  proprium  of  the  understanding,  and  the  con- 
cupiscences of  evil  and  falsity,  which  is  the  common  proprium 
springing  from  the  two  former.  Out  of  their  mouths,  means 
out  of  their  thoughts  and  discourses ;  by  fire  is  signified  the  love 
of  self  and  of  the  world,  which  love  is  the  proprium  of  man's 
will,  n.  450,  465,  495 ;  by  smoke  is  signifiecl  the  pride  of  self- 
derived  intelligence,  which  is  the  proprium  of  his  understanding, 
proceeding  from  the  love  of  self  and  of  the  world,  as  smoke  does 
from  fire,  n.  422 ;  and  by  brimstone  is  signified  the  concupis- 
cence of  evil  and  falsity,  which  is  the  common  proprium  flow- 
ing from  the  two  former.  These  things,  however,  do  not  appear 
from  their  discourses  before  men  in  the  world,  but  manifestly 
before  the  angels  in  heaven  ;  therefore  it  is  said,  that  when 
viewed  interiorly,  they  are  such.  Fire  signifies  infernal  love, 
and  brimstone,  the  concupiscences  flowing  from  that  love  through 
the  pride  of  self-derived  intelligence,  in  the  following  passages : 
I  will  cause  it  to  Yix\r\fire  and  'brimstone  upon  him,  Ezek.  xxxviii. 
22.  "Jehovah  shall  rain  upon  the  wicked  ^r^  and  'brimstone^'' 
Psalm  xi.  6.  "  For  it  is  the  day  of  Jehovah's  vengeance — and 
che  streams  thereof  shall  be  turned  into  pitch,  and  the  dust 
thereof  into  hrimstone,  the  smoke  thereof  shall  go  up  for  ever," 
Isaiah  xxxiv.  8 — 10.  "  But  the  same  day  that  Lot  went  out 
of  Sodom,  it  rained ^r^  aiid  brimstone  from  heaven ; — even  thus 
shall  it  be  in  the  day  when  the  Son  of  Man  is  revealed,"  Luke 
xvii.  29,  30;  Gen.  xix.  24.  "If  any  man  worship  the  beast 
and  his  image, — he  shall  be  tormented  with^re  and-  brimstone^'' 
Apoc.  xiv.  9,  10.  "And  the  be£',st,  and  with  him  the  false 
propliet  and  the  devil,  were  cast  alive  into  a  lake  oijire  burning 
with  brimstone,''''  Apoc.  xix.  20  ;  xx.  10  ;  xxi.  8.  "  The  breath 
of  Jehovah  like  a  stream  of  brimstone  doth  kindle  it,"  Isaiah 
XXX.  33.  "  And  that  the  whole  land  thereof  is  brimstone,  and 
salt  and  burning,  that  it  is  not  sown,  neither  shall  it  bring  forth 
any  grass  like  the  overthrow  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,"  Deut. 
ax'ix.  21,  23.  Brimstone  shall  be  scattered  over  the  habitation 
of  the  wicked,  Job  xviii.  15. 

453.  By  these  three  loas  the  third  part  of  men  Jcilled,  by  tfie 
fire,  and  by  the  smohe,  and  by  the  brimstone,  which  issued  out  of 
their  mouths,  signifles  that  from  these  it  is,  that  the  men  of  the 
church  perish.    A  third  part  of  men  being  killed,  signifies  that 

334 


V.   17 19,]       THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  454,  455 

the  men  of  the  church  perish  by  the  tliree  thin£>;s  just  now  nieu- 
tioneti,  11.  452;  for  by  being  killed,  is  sigiiilied  to  be  killed  spir- 
itually, which  is  to  perish  as  to  the  soul;  and  by  a  third  part 
is  signified  all  who  are  principled  in  those  falses,  which  have 
been  frecpiently  enumerated  above;  Avhat  is  signified  by  fire, 
smoke,  and  brimstone,  and  what  by  issuing  out  of  their  mouths, 
may  be  seen  above,  n.  452.  To  these  falses  may  be  ascribed 
the  circumstance,  that  throughout  Christendom  it  is  not  known 
that  the  fire  here  spoken  of  denotes  the  love  of  self  and  of  the 
world,  and  that  this  love  is  the  devil ;  also  that  the  smoke  issu 
ing  from  this  fire  denotes  the  pride  of  self-derived  intelligence, 
and  that  this  pride  is  Satan ;  as  also  that  brimstone  kindled  by 
this  fire,  by  means  of  that  pride,  denotes  the  concupiscences  ot 
evil  and  falsity  ;  and  that  these  concupiscences  are  the  crew  of 
the  devil  and  Satan,  of  which  hell  consists;  and  when  ignorance 
prevails  respecting  these  things  it  cannot  be  known  what  is  a 
sin,  for  sin  derives  all  its  delight  and  pleasantness  from  them. 

454.  For  their  j^oioer  is  in  their  7nouth^  signifies  that  they 
only  prevail  by  their  discourse  in  confirmation  of  faith.  By 
power  in  their  mouth  is  signified  power  in  discourse  confirming 
doctrine;  for  neatness  and  elegance  of  language,  pretended  zeal, 
ingenious  confirmation  of  what  is  false,  especia-lly  from  the 
appearances  of  truth  in  the  AVord,  authority,  closure  of  the 
understanding,  and  the  like,  effect  every  thing,  whilst  truth  and 
the  Word  effect  nothing;  for  truth  shines  before  none,  and  the 
Word  teaches  none,  but  those  who  are  principled  in  charity  and 
thence  in  faith. 

455.  For  their  tails  were  like  unto  serpents  and  had  heads ^ 
and  with  them  they  httrt,  signifies  the  reason,  because  they  are 
in  a  sensual  and  inverted  state,  speaking  truths  with  their  lips, 
but  falsifying  them  by  the  principle  whicli  constitutes  the  head 
or  chief  doctrine  of  their  religion,  and  thus  they  deceive.  The 
same  is  here  signified  as  above,  by  the  locusts,  n.  438,439;  but 
it  is  there  said,  that  they  had  tails  like  scorpions,  whereas  here, 
like  serpents,  for  they  who  are  described  by  the  locusts,  speak 
and  persuade  from  the  Word,  the  sciences,  and  from  erudition  ; 
but  these  only  from  arguments,  which  are  appearances  of  truth 
and  fallacies ;  and  they  who  use  sucli  arguments  ingeniously, 
and  as  it  were  wisely,  do  indeed  deceive,  but  not  in  so  great  a 
degree.  By  serpents,  in  the  Word,  are  signified  sensual  things, 
M'hich  are  the  ultimates  of  man's  life,  as  above,  n.  424;  the  rea- 
son is,  because  all  animals  signify  the  affections  of  man,  Mdiere- 
fore  also  the  affections  of  angels  and  spirits,  in  the  spiritual 
world,  appear  at  a  distance  as  animals,  and  affections,  merely 
sensual,  as  serpents ;  and  this  because  serpents  creep  on  the 
ground  and  lick  the  dust,  and  sensual  things  are  the  lowest  of 
the  understanding  and  will,  lacing  in  close  contact  with  the 
world,  and  nourished  by  its  objects  and  delights,  which  onlj 

335 


156  THE  ArOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         [Cliap.  IX. 

affect  the  material  senses  of  the  body.  ISToxious  serpents,  wliicli 
are  of  many  kinds,  signify  the  sensnal  things  tliat  are  dependent 
on  the  evil  affections  -which  constitute  the  interiors  of  the  mind 
with  those  Avho  are  insane  through  the  falses  of  evil ;  and  harmless 
serpents  signity  the  sensual  things  that  are  dependent  on  tlie  good 
affections,  which  constitute  tlie  interiors  of  tlie  mind  with  those 
who  are  wise  by  virtue  of  the  truths  of  good.  Sensual  things 
dependent  on  evil  affections,  are  signified  by  serpents  in  these 
places:  "  They  shall  lick  the  dust  like  a  serpent^''  Micah  vii.  IT. 
"  And  dust  shall  be  the  serpent'' s  meat,"  Isaiah  Ixv.  25.  Unto 
the  serpent  it  was  said,  "  Upon  thy  belly  shalt  thou  go,  and  dust 
shalt  thou  eat  all  the  days  of  thy  life,"  Gen.  iii.  14.  Tlie  sen- 
sual principle  is  so  described,  because,  communicating  as  it  does 
with  hell,  where  all  are  sensual,  it,  in  things  spiritual,  changes 
celestial  wisdom  into  infernal  insanity.  " Rejoice  not  thou,  whole 
Palestina, — for  out  of  the  serpenfs  root  shall  come  fortli  a  cock- 
atrice, and  his  fruit  shall  be  a  fiery  flying  serpent,"  Isaiali  xiv. 
29.  "  They  hatch  cockatrice'  eggs, — he  that  eatetli  of  their  eggii 
dietli,  and  that  which  is  crushed  breaketli  out  into  a  viper,'' 
Isaiah  lix.  5.  Because  the  sons  of  Israel  desired  to  return 
into  Egypt,  they  were  bit  by  serpents.  Numb.  xxi.  1 — 10.  To 
return  into  Egypt,  signifies  from  spiritual  to  become  sensual ; 
therefore  it  is  said,  The  hirelings  of  Egypt  turned  themselves 
away,  "  the  voice  thereof  shall  go  like  the  voice  of  a  serpent,'''' 
•Jerem.  xlvi.  22.  Because  Dan  Avas  the  last  of  the  tribes,  and 
thence  signified  the  ultimate  of  the  church,  which  is  the  sensual 
principle  subject  to  the  interiors,  therefore  it  is  said  of  him, 
^^Dan  shall  he  a  serpent  by  the  way  that  biteth  the  horses' 
heels,  so  that  his  rider  shall  fall  backward,"  Gen.  xlix.  17. 
By  the  horses'  heels  are  signified  the  uUimates  of  the  under- 
standing, which  are  sensual ;  by  biting  is  signified  to  adhere  to 
them ;  by  horseman,  or  rider,  is  signified  the  defect  of  know- 
ledge from  them  whereby  truths  are  perverted,  for  Mdiich  reason 
it  is  said.  His  rider  shall  fall  backward.  As  sensual  men  are 
crafty  and  cunning,  like  foxes,  therefore  the  Lord  says.  Be  ye 
wise  as  serp)ents,  Matt.  x.  16 ;  for  the  sensual  man  speaks  and 
reasons  from  appearances  and  fallacies,  and  if  he  has  a  talent  for 
disputation  can  ingeniously  confirm  every  falsity,  and  also  the 
heresy  of  faith  alone  ;  though  in  discerning  truth  it  is  scarcely 
p(^ssible  for  any  one  to  be  so  dull  and  slow  of  comprehension. 

4:hQ.  And  the  rest  of  the  men  who  were  not  hilled  hy  these 
plagues,  signifies  those  in  the  reformed  church  who  are  not  so 
spiritually  dead  from  visionary  reasonings  and  from  self-love, 
and  from  the  pride  of  self-derived  intelligence,  and  from  the 
concupiscences  thence  proceeding,  as  the  former,  and  yet  make 
laith  alone  the  head  of  their  religion.  By  the  rest  of  the  men 
are  meant  they  who  are  not  as  the  former,  but  yet  make  faith 
alone  the  head  of  their  religion  ;  who  were  not  killed,  signifies 
336 


V.  19,  20.]        TIH':  APOCALYPSE  REVEALFD.  456 

"vrho  arc  not  so  spiritually  dead ;  by  these  |)la£!;iies  are  meant 
self-love,  the  pride  of"  self-derived  intelli<2;ei)ce,  and  the  concupis- 
cences of  evil  and  falsity  ilowiiiii;  from  them  ;  these  three  heing 
signified  by  fire,  smoke,  and  hi-imstone,  concerning  which  above, 
71.  432,  453.  That  such  is  the  signification  of  plagues,  will  be 
seen  below.  But  something  must  first  be  said  respecting  this 
class  of  persons,  whom  also  it  has  been  granted  me  to  see  and 
to  converse  with.  "  They  dwell  in  the  northern  quarter  towards 
the  west,  where  some  of  them  have  cottages  with  roofs,  and 
some  without  roofs  ;  their  beds  are  of  bulrushes,  their  garments 
of  goat's  hair.  In  the  light  flowing-in  from  heaven  their  faces 
appear  stupid  and  also  livid.  The  reason  is,  because  they  know 
nothing  more  about  religion  than  that  there  is  a  God,  that  there 
are  three  ]>ersons,  that  Christ  suffered  for  them  on  the  cross, 
and  that  it  is  faith  alone  by  which  they  are  saved  ;  and  likewise 
by  worship  in  temples,  and  by  prayei's  at  stated  times :  as  to 
any  thing  else  relating  to  religion  and  its  doctrine,  they  pay  no 
attention  whatever ;  for  the  worldly  and  corporeal  things,  Avitli 
which  their  minds  are  filled  and  overcharged,  close  up  their 
ears  against  their  admission.  There  are  many  of  the  Presbyters 
among  them,  whom  I  asked,  '  What  do  you  think,  when  yon 
read  in  the  Word  of  works,  of  love  and  charity,  of  fruits,  of  the 
])recepts  of  life,  of  repentance,  in  short,  of  things  that  are  to  be 
done?'  They  replied.  That  they  did  indeed  read  them,  and 
thus  saw  them ;  but  still  they  did  not  see  them,  because  they 
kept  their  minds  fixed  upon  faith  alone,  and  therefore  thought 
that  all  these  were  faith,  and  did  not  perceive  that  they  were 
effects  of  faith.  That  such  ignorance  and  stupidity  prevails 
with  those  wlio  have  embraced  faith  alone,  wud  made  it  the  all 
of  their  religion,  is  scarcely  credible  ;  nevertheless  it  has  been 
permitted  me  to  have  abuiulant  experience  of  the  fact."  That 
by  plagues  are  meant  spiritual  plagues,  by  means  of  which  man 
dies  as  to  his  spirit  or  soul,  is  evident  from  these  passages: 
"Thy  bruise  is  desperate,  thy  ^^^ai^we  is  grievous,  for  I  will  re- 
store health  unto  thee,  I  will  heal  thee  of  i\\y  plagues,''''  Jerem. 
XXX.  12,  14,  17.  "  Every  one  that  goeth  by  Babylon,  shall  hiss 
at  all  her  ^^Zrtj7?rc5,"  Jerem.  1.  13.  "  In  one  day  shall  plagues 
come  upnn  Babylon,  death  and  mourning,"  Apoc.  xviii.  8.  "  I 
saw  seven  angels  having  the  seven  last  ■plagues,  for  in  them  is 
filled  up  the  Vvrath  of  God,"  Apoc.  xv.  1.  "  Ah  !  sinful  nation, 
a  people  laden  with  iniquity, — from  the  sole  of  the  foot  even 
nnto  the  head,  there  is  no  soundness  in  it,  but  wounds,  and 
bruises,  and  recent  plagues :  they  have  not  been  closed,  nor 
bound  up,  nor  mollified  with  ointment,"  Isaiah  i.  4,  6.  "  In 
the  day  that  Jehovah  bindeth  np  the  breach  of  his  people,  and 
liealeth  the  stroke  of  their  plague,^''  Isaiah  xxx.  26 ;  besides 
other  places ;  as  in  Dent,  xxviii.  59  ;  Jerem.  xlix.  17  ;  Zech.  xiv. 
12, 15  ;  Luke  vii.  21 ;  Apoc.  xi.  6  ;  xvi.  21. 

337  w 


467  THE  APOCALYPSE  EEVEALED.         [Chap.  IX. 

457.  Yet  repented  not  of  the  wo7'l's  of  their  ha7}ds,  signifies 
that  neither  did  they  shun  the  things  that  are  proper  to  them- 
selves, which  are  evils  of  every  kind,  as  sins.  By  the  works  of  a 
man's  hands,  are  signified  the  things  proper  to  man,  which  are 
evils  and  consequent  lalses,  because  by  hand  are  signified  those 
things,  in  the  aggregate,  which  proceed  from  man;  for  the 
powers  of  the  mind,  and  thence  of  its  body,  are  determined  to 
the  hands  and  there  terminate;  wherefore  by  hands,  in  the 
Word,  is  signified  power :  consequently,  by  the  works  of  a 
man's  hands,  the  things  proper  to  him  are  signified,  which  are 
evils  and  taises  of  all  kinds ;  the  things  proper  to  his  will  are 
evils,  and  the  things  proper  to  his  understanding  are  falses  flow- 
ing from  them.  It  is  said  of  those  who  are  here  treated  of,  that 
they  repented  not;  the  reason  is,  because  they  who  make  fiiith 
alone  the  all  of  religion,  say  in  themselves.  What  need  is  there 
of  repentance,  when  by  faith  alone  sins  are  remitted,  and  we 
are  saved?  Of- what  avail  are  our  own  M^orks  in  this  matter?  I 
know  that  I  was  born  in  sin,  and  that  I  am  a  siimer;  if  I  con- 
fess this,  and  pray  that  my  faults  may  not  be  imputed  to  me,  is 
not  the  work  of  repentance  then  performed,  and  what  need  is 
there  for  any  thing  more  ?  Thus  he  has  no  thought  at  all  about 
sins,  and  comes  at  length  not  to  know  that  there  is  any  such 
thing  as  sin  ;  wherefore  he  is  continually  borne  along  within 
them  and  into  them,  by  the  delight  and  pleasantness  which 
flow  from  them,  in  like  manner  as  a  ship  is  carried  by  a  fair 
wind  and  tide  toward  the  rocks,  whilst  the  pilot  and  mariners 
are  asleep.  By  the  works  of  men's  hands,  in  the  Word,  in  its 
natural  sense,  are  meant  graven  images,  molten  image?;,  and 
idols ;  but,  in  the  spiritual  sense,  they  signify  evils  and  falses 
of  every  kind,  which  are  the  things  proper  to  man ;  as  in  these 
passages :  Provoke  me  not  to  anger  by  the  works  of  your  hands  ^ 
if  ye  i3rovoke  me  to  anger  by  the  works  of  your  hands,  to  your 
own  hurt,  "  I  will  recompense  them  according  to  their  deeds, 
and  according  to  the  vjorks  of  their  own  hands,^^  Jerem.  xxv. 

6,  T,  14.  "  For  the  children  of  Israel  have  provoked  me  to 
anger  with  the  woi^k  of  their  hands,''''  Jerem.  xxxii.  30 ;  xliv.  S. 
"  And  I  will  utter  my  judgments  against  them  touching  all 
their  wickedness,  because  they  have  worshipped  the  works  of 
their  own  hands,''"'  Jerem.  i.  16.  In  that  day  their  eyes  shall 
look  up  to  the  Holy  One  of  Israel,  and  not  to  altars — the  work 
of  their  hands,  and  which  i\\Q\Y  fingers  have  made,  Isaiah  xvii. 

7,  8;  xxxi.7;  xxxvii.  19;  Jerem.  x.  9.  That  the  Avork  of  man's 
hands  is  his  selfhood,  and  thence  evil  and  falsity,  may  appear 
manifestly  from  this  consideration,  that  on  this  account  it  was 
forbidden  to  build  the  altar  and  temple  v  ith  hewn  stones,  or  to 
lift  up  an  iron  tool  upon  them,  for  this  would  signify  the  work 
of  men's  hands:  "And  if  thou  wilt  make  me  an  altar  of  stone, 
thou  shalt  not  build  it  ^f  hewn  stone,  for  if  thou  lift  up  thy  tod 

338 


V.  20.j  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  458 

upon  it,  thou  liast  polluted  it,"  Exod.  xx.  25.  Joshua  built  an 
altar  of  stoues,  over  which  he  did  not  lift  xip  any  iron,  Joshua 
viii.  30,  31.  The  teni])le  of  Jerusalem  was  built  of  "  stotio 
made  ready,  so  that  there  was  neither  hammer  nor  axe,  nor  any 
tool  of  iron  heard,  while  it  was  bnildincj,"  1  Kings  vi.  7.  All 
things  which  are  done  by  the  Lord,  are  also  called  the  works  of 
his  hands,  which  are  proper  to  him,  and  in  themselves  aro 
goods  and  truths,  as  in  these  passages:  The  works  of  JehovaJts 
hanch  are  truth  and  judgment,  Psalm  cxi.  7.  "Thy  nun-cy,  O 
Jehovah,  endureth  for  ever,  forsake  not  the  woi'ks  of  tJiine  own 
handsy''  Psalm  cxxxviii.  8.  "Thus  saith  Jehovah,  the  Holy 
One  of  Israel  and  his  Maker,  Ask  me  of  things  to  come,  con- 
cerning my  sons,  and  concerning  the  looi'h  of  my  hands  com- 
mand ye  me,"  Isaiah  xlv.  11.  "Thy  people  shall  be  all  right- 
eous,— the  branch  of  my  ])lanting,  the  work  of  my  hands" 
Isaiah  Ix.  21.  "But  now,  O  Jehovah,  thou  art  our  Father;  we 
are  clay,  aiul  thou  our  potter,  and  we  all  are  the  ivork  of  thy 
hands,^"*  Isaiah  Ixiv.  8. 

458.  That  they  should  not  worship  demons,  signifies  that 
thus  they  are  in  the  evils  of  their  concupiscences,  and  make  one 
with  their  like  in  hell.  By  demons  are  signified  the  concupis- 
cences of  evil  springing  from  the  love  of  the  world;  the  reason 
is,  because  in  hell  they  are  called  demons  who  are  in  those  con- 
cupiscences ;  and  men  also,  who  are  in  the  same,  become  de- 
mons after  death  ;  there  is  also  a  conjunction  between  them  and 
such  men;  for  every  man  is  conjoined  with  spirits  as  to  his 
affections,  even  to  their  making  a  one  ;  from  which  circum- 
stance it  is  evident,  that  to  worship  demons,  is  to  sacrifice  to 
those  concupiscences  from  the  love  of  them.  Therefore  he  who 
invokes  faith  alone,  as  the  head  of  his  religion,  or  as  his  idol, 
remains  in  evil,  by  reason  of  his  not  searching  out  any  evil  in 
himself  which  he  considers  a  sin,  and  consequently  is  not  de- 
sirous of  removing  it  by  repentance ;  and  as  every  evil  is  com- 
])osed  of  concupiscences,  being  nothing  but  a  fascicle  or  bundlo 
of  them,  it  follows,  that  he  who  does  not  search  out  any  evil  in 
liimself,  and  shun  it  as  a  sin  against  God,  which  can  only  be 
done  by  repentance,  becomes  a  demon  after  death.  Nothing 
but  such  concupiscences  are  signified  by  demons  in  the  follow- 
ing ])assages  :  "  They  sacrificed  unto  devils,  not  to  God,"  Deut. 
xxxii.  17.  The  children  of  Israel  no  longer  saci'ficed  to  the 
devils,  after  which  they  went  a  whoring,  Levit.  xvii.  7 ;  Psalm 
cvi.  37.  "  The  wild  beast  of  the  desert  and  of  the  islands  (Ziim 
and  Ijim)  sliall  meet,  and  the  demon  of  the  woods  shall  cry  to 
liis  fellow,"  Isaiah  xxxiv.  14.  "  But  tlic  wild  beasts  of  the  des- 
ert (Ziim)  shall  lie  there,  and  their  houses  shall  be  full  of  dole- 
ful creatures  (Ochim),  and  the  daughters  of  the  owl  shall  dwell 
there,  and  the  demons  of  the  woods  shall  dance  there,"  Isai^li 
xiii.  21.  By  Ziim,  Ijim,  Ochim,  and  the  daughters  of  the  owlj 
339 


459  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Cliap.  ix 

are  signified  various  concupiscences  ;  wood  demons  are  such 
concupiscences  as  appertain  to  priapuses  and  satyrs.  Babvlon 
is  become  the  habitation  of  devils^  and  the  hold  of  every  un- 
clean spirit,  Apoc.  xviii,  2.  The  demons  which  the  Lord  ca^c 
out,  were  such  concupiscences,  when  they  lived  in  the  world, 
concerning  which,  see  Matthew  viii,  16,  28  ;  ix.  32,  83  ;  x.  8  ; 
xii.  22;  xv.  22  ;  Mark  i.  32—34 ;  Luke  iv.  33—38,  41 ;  viii.  2, 
26,  40 ;  ix.  1,  37—44—50 ;  xiii.  32. 

459.  A  nd  idols  of  gold^  and  silver,  and  brass,  and  stone,  and 
wood,  signifies  that  thus  they  are  in  Vv^orship  grounded  in  mere 
falses.  By  idols,  in  the  Word,  are  signified  the  falses  of  wor- 
ship, and  therefore  to  M'orship  them  signifies  worship  from 
falses ;  and  by  adoring  idols  of  gold,  silver,  brass,  stone,  and 
wood,  is  signified  worship  from  falses  of  all  kinds,  and,  taken 
collectively,  worship  from  mere  falses  ;  moreover,  the  materials 
of  which  idols  were  made,  their  forms,  and  their  garments, 
among  the  ancients,  represented  the  falses  of  religion,  from 
which  their  worship  was  performed  ;  idols  of  gold  signified  falses 
concerning  divine  things  ;  idols  of  silver,  falses  concerning  spir- 
itual things;  idols  of  brass,  falses  concerning  charity;  idols  of 
stone,  falses  concerning  faith  ;  and  idols  of  wood,  falses  concern- 
ing good  works.  All  these  falses  exist  in  those  who  do  not  do 
the  work  of  repentance,  that  is,  shun  evils  as  sins  against  God. 
Graven  images  and  molten  images,  which  were  idols,  have  this 
signification,  in  the  spiritual  sense,  in  the  following  passages  : 
"  Every  man  is  brutish  in  his  knowledge  :  every  founder  is  con- 
founded by  the  graven  image :  for  his  molten  image  is  falsehood, 
and  there  is  no  breath  in  them.  Tliey  are  vanity,  and  the  work 
of  errors :  in  the  time  of  their  visitation  shall  they  perish," 
Jerem.  x.  14,  15;  li.  17,  18.  Graven  images  are  the  work  of 
the  hands  of  the  workman,  they  speak  not,  they  are  altogether 
brutish  and  foolish,  the  wood  is  a  discipline  of  vanities,  the 
whole  a  work  of  cunning  men,  Jerem.  x.  3 — 5,  8 — 10.  "  What 
profiteth  the  graven  image,  that  the  maker  and  a  teaclier  of  lies 
hath  graven  it,  that  the  maker  of  his  work  trusteth  therein ;  find 
there  is  no  breath  at  all  in  the  midst  of  it,"  Habak.  ii.  18 — 20. 
"  In  that  day  a  man  shall  cast  his  idols  of  silverand  his  idols  of 
gold,  which  they  made  each  one  for  himself  to  worship,  to  the 
moles  and  to  the  bats,"  Isaiah  ii.  18,  20.  "  And  have  made 
them  inolten  images  of  their  silver,  and  idols  according  to  their 
own  understanding,  the  work  of  the  craftsmen,"  Hosea  xiii.  2. 
"  Then  will  I  sprinkle  clean  water  upon  you,  and  ye  shall  be 
clean  from  all  your  filthiness,  and  from  all  your  idols,^^  Ezek. 
xxxvi.  25.  Clean  water  is  truth ;  idols  are  the  falses  of  wor- 
ship. "  Ye  shall  defile  also  the  covering  of  your  graven  inoages 
of  silver,  and  the  ornament  of  thy  7nolten  images  of  gold,  thou 
shalt  cast  them  away  as  a  menstruous  cloth,  thou  shalt  say  unto 
it,  Get  thee  hence,"  Isaiah  xxx.  22.  Nor  is  any  thing  else  but 
340 


V,  20,  21.]        THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  460,  461 

the  falses  of  relio;ion  and  thence  of  worship  signified  by  the 
gods  of  gold^  of  silver,  of  hi'ass,  of  iron,  of  wood,  and  of  stone, 
which  Belshazzar  king  of  Babylon  praised  (worsliipped)  when 
he  drank  wine  with  his  princes,  liis  wives,  and  his  concubines, 
out  of  the  vessels  of  gold  and  of  silver  from  the  temple  in  Jeru- 
salem, Dan,  v.  1 — 5,  and  following  verses ;  besides  many  other 
places;  as  in  Isaiah  x.  10,  11 ;  xxi.  9 ;  xxxi.  7 ;  xl.  19,  20;  xli. 
29  ;  xlii.  17  ;  xlviii.  5  ;  Jerem.  viii.  19  ;  1.  38,  39  ;  Ezek.  vi.  4,  5  ; 
iiv.  3 — 6  ;  Micah  i.  7 ;  v,  13  ;  Psalm  cxv.  4,  5  ;  Psaljin  cxxxv.  15, 
16  ;  Levit.  xxvi.  30.  By  idols,  the  falses  of  worship  from  self- 
derived  intelligence  are  strictly  signified  ;  the  manner  in  which 
man  fashions  them,  and  afterwards  accommodates  them,  so  as 
to  appear  like  truths,  is  fully  described  in  Isaiah  xliv.  9,  10. 

460.  Which  neither  can  see,  nor  Jiear,  nor  ■?/?a//fc,  signifies  in 
which  there  is  nothing  of  spiritual  and  truly  rational  lite.  The 
reason  why  this  is  said,  is,  because  idolaters  believe  that  their 
idols  see  and  hear,  for  they  make  them  gods :  still  this  is  not 
the  meaning  of  these  words ;  but,  that  in  the  falses  of  worship 
there  is  nothing  of  spiritual  nor  truly  rational  life,  for  by  seeing 
and  hearing  is  signified  to  nnderstand  and  perceive,  n.  7,  25, 
87  ;  and  by  walking  is  signified  to  live,  167  ;  therefore  by  these 
three  things  is  signified  spiritual  and  truly  rational  life :  this  is 
signified,  because  by  idols  are  signified  the  falses  of  worship,  in 
which  there  is  nothing  of  spiritual  and  rational  life.  That  idols 
do  not  see,  and  hear,  and  walk,  is  a  thing  too  obvious  to  be  here 
mentioned,  were  there  not  some  inward  signification  involved 
within  it.  The  like  is  also  said  of  idols  in  other  parts  of  the 
AVord,  as  in  these  passages  :  "They  have  not  known  nor  under- 
stood, for  he  hath  shut  their  eyes — that  they  cannot  see,  and 
their  hearts  that  they  cannot  understand,"  Isaiah  xliv.  18,  20. 
They  speak  not,  neither  do  they  walk,  Jerem.  x.  3 — 10.  "  They 
liave  mouths  but  they  speak  not,  eyes  have  they  but  they  see 
not,"  Psalm  cxv.  5  ;  Psalm  cxxxv.  15, 16  ;  by  which  like  things 
are  signified,  because  by  idols  are  signified  the  falses  of  worship  ; 
and  in  falses  of  worship  there  is  nothing  of  life  which  is  really 
life. 

461.  Neither  repentedthey  of  their  murders,  nor  of  their  sor- 
o£ries,  nor  of  their  fornication,  nor  of  their  thefts,  %\gn\^Q^  that 
the  heresy  of  faith  alone  induces  on  their  hearts  stupidity,  ter- 
giversation, and  hardness,  so  that  they  do  not  think  any  thing 
of  the  precepts  of  the  decalogue,  nor  indeed  of  any  sin,  that  it 
ought  to  be  shunned  because  it  is  in  favour  of  the  devil  and 
against  God.  What  murders,  adulteries,  and  thefts,  signify  in 
every  sense,  may  be  seen  in  The  Doctrine  of  Life  for  the  j}^ew 
Jerusalem  from  the  Precepts  of  the  Decalogue,  where  it  is  ex- 
plained ;  therefore  it  is  unnecessary  to  re})eat  it  here  ;  but  what 
is  signified  by  sorceries,  shall  be  explained  in  the  following 
article.  Faith  alone  induces  stupidity,  tergiversation,  and  haru- 
341 


462  THE    APOCALYPSE   EEVEALED.  [Chap.  ix. 

iiess  of  heart,  in  those  who  are  in  the  reformed  church,  because 
the  good  of  life  does  not  constitute  religion  where  laith  alone 
prevails:  and  if  religion  does  not  consist  in  good  of  life,  then 
the  second  table  of  the  decalogue,  which  is  the  table  of  repent- 
ance, is  like  a  blank,  whereon  nothing  is  written.  That  the 
second  table  of  the  decalogue  is  a  table  of  repentance,  is  evi- 
dent, because  it  is  not  there  said  that  good  works  are  to  be  done, 
but  that  evil  works  are  not  to  be  done,  as.  Thou  slialt  not  kill, 
thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery,  thou  shalt  not  steal,  thou  shalt 
not  bear  f{ilse  witness,  thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbour's  goods ; 
and  if  these  things  do  not  constitute  religion,  the  result  is  as 
here  stated :  "  Neither  repented  they  of  their  murders,  nor  of 
their  sorceries,  nor  of  their  fornication,  nor  of  their  thefts." 
That  good  of  life  does  not  constitute  religion  where  faith  alone 
prevails,  will  be  clearly  shown  in  what  follows. 

462.  Since  at  this  day  it  is  not  known  what  is  meant  by 
S07'ceries,  it  shall  briefly  be  explained.  Sorcei'ies  are  mentioned 
in  the  above  passage,  in  place  of  the  eighth  precept  in  the  deca- 
logue, Thou  shalt  not  bear  false  witness,  for  the  three  other 
evils,  which  are  murders,  fornications,  and  thefts,  are  there 
named.  To  bear  false  witness  signifies,  in  the  natural  sense, 
to  act  the  part  of  a  false  witness,  to  lie  and  defame;  and  in  the 
spiritual  sense,  to  confirm  and  persuade  that  what  is  false  is 
title,  and  that  what  is  evil  is  good ;  from  which  it  is  evident, 
that  by  sorcery  is  signified  to  persuade  to  what  is  false,  and  thus 
to  destroy  truth.  Sorceries  were  in  use  among  the  ancients, 
and  were  performed  in  three  ways:  first,  by  keeping  the  hear- 
ing and  thus  the  mind  of  another  continually  intent  upon  his 
words  and  sayings,  without  retaining  aught  from  them  ;  and,  at 
the  same  time,  by  an  aspiration  and  inspiration  of  thought  con- 
joined with  affection,  by  means  of  the  breath,  into  the  sound 
of  the  voice,  whereby  the  hearer  is  incapable  of  thinking  any 
thing  from  himself;  in  this  manner  did  the  lovers  of  falsehood 
pour  in  their  falses  with  violence.  Secondly,  they  infused  a  per- 
suasion, which  was  done  by  detaining  the  mind  from  every  thing 
of  a  contrary  nature,  and  directing  the  attention  exclusively  to 
the  idea  involved  in  that  which  was  uttered  by  themselves, hence 
the  spiritual  sphere  of  his  mind  dispelled  the  spiritual  sphere  of 
the  mind  of  another,  and  stifled  it :  this  was  the  kind  of  spiritual 
fascination  which  the  magi  of  old  made  use  of,  and  which  was 
gpoken  of  as  the  tying  up  and  binding  the  understanding.  The 
latter  kind  of  sorcery  pertained  only  to  the  spirit  or  thought, 
but  the  former  to  the  lips  or  speech  also.  Thirdly,  the  hearer 
kept  his  mind  so  fixed  in  his  own  opinion,  that  he  almost  shut 
his  ears  against  hearing  any  thing  from  the  speaker,  which  was 
done  by  holding  the  breath,  and  sometimes  by  a  tacit  mutter- 
ing, and  thus  by  a  continual  negation  of  his  adversary's  senti- 
ment. This  kind  of  sorcery  was  practised  by  those  who  heard 
342 


V.  21.]  THE   APOCxVLYPdE   REVEALED.  462 

otliers,  but  the  two  former  by  tbose  who  spake  to  others.  These 
three  kinds  of  sorceries  prevailed  among  the  ancients,  and  pre- 
vail still  among  inli'i-nal  spii-its  ;  but  with  men  in  the  world  there 
remains  only  the  third  kind,  and  this  with  those,  who  from  the 
pride  of  their  own  intelligence,  have  confirmed  in  themselves 
the  falses  of  religion  ;  for  these,  when  they  hear  things  contrary, 
admit  them  no  further  into  their  thought  than  to  mere  contact, 
and  then  from  the  interior  recess  of  their  mind  they  emit  as  it 
were  lire  which  consumes  them,  about  which  the  other  knows 
nothing  except  by  conjecture  drawn  from  the  countenance  and 
the  sound  of  the  voice  in  the  re])ly,  provided  the  sorcerer  does 
not,  by  dissimulation,  restrain  that  fire,  or  what  is  the  same, 
the  anger  of  his  pride.  This  kind  of  sorcery  operates  at  the 
present  day,  to  prevent  truths  from  being  accepted,  and,  with 
many,  to  their  not  being  understood.  That  in  ancient  times 
many  magical  arts  prevailed,  and  among  these,  sorceries,  is 
evident  from  Moses :  "  When  thou  art  come  into  the  land, 
thou  shalt  not  learn  to  do  after  the  abominations  of  those  nations, 
there  shall  not  be  found  among  you  one  that  maketh  his  son 
or  his  daughter  to  pass  through  the  fire,  or  that  useth  divina- 
tions, or  an  observer  of  times,  or  an  enchanter,  or  a  witch,  or 
a  charmer  of  incantations^  and  a  consulter  with  familiar  sjjirits, 
or  a  wizard,  or  a  necromancer ;  for  all  these  things  are  an  abomi- 
nation unto  Jehovah,"  Deut.  xviii.  9 — 11.  A  persuasion  of  the 
false,  and  consequently  the  destruction  of  truth,  is  signified  by 
sorceries  in  these  passages:  "Thy  wisdom  and  thy  knowledge 
hath  perverted  thee,  therefore  shall  evil  come  upon  thee  ;  stand 
now  with  thine  incantations^  and  with  the  multitude  of  thy  wr- 
ceries,"  Isaiah  xlvii.  10 — 12.  "  By  the  sorceries  of  Babylon  all 
nations  were  deceived,"  Apoc.  xviii.  23.  "AVithout  are  dogs, 
sorcerers^  whoremongers,  murderers,"  Apoc.  xxii.  15.  Joram 
said  to  Jehu,  "  Is  it  peace?  and  he  answered,  What  peace,  so 
long  as  the  whoredoms  of  thy  mother  Jezebel,  and  \\qi'  sorceries 
are  so  many  V  2  Kings  ix.  22.  B}'  her  whoredoms  are  signified 
falsiflcativiiis,  n.  13-1 ;  and,  by  her  incanrations  and  sorceries, 
destructions  of  truth  by  means  of  false  persuasions.  On  the 
other  hand,  incantation  signifies  the  rejection  of  falsity  by 
truths,  which  was  also  effected  by  tacitly  thinking  and  whisper- 
ing, from  a  zeal  for  truth  in  opposition  to  falsehood,  as  is  ])lain 
from  these  passages :  Jehovah  will  take  away  from  Jerusalem 
the  mighty  man,  the  man  of  war,  the  counsellor,  the  cumnng 
artificer,  the  skilful  in  incajitation,  Isaiali  iii.  1 — 3.  ''  Their 
poison  is  like  the  ])oison  of  the  deaf  adder,  she  stoppeth  her  eai-s 
that  she  nuiy  not  hear  the  voice  of  silent  murmui-ing,  the  charm- 
ers of  t/ie  incantations  of  the  wise,"  Psalm  Iviii.  5,  <>,  "  Behold, 
I  send  serpents,  cockatrices  among  you,  against  which  there  ia 
no  incantation^^'*  Jerem.  viii.  17.  "In  trouble  have  they  visited 
thee,  they  poured  out  a  secret  jpr ay er^^^  Isaiah  xxvi.  16. 
343 


463  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Chap.  IX. 

463.  To  the  above  I  will  add  this  Memoral3le  Relation.  I 
was  once  looking  towards  the  sea-coast,  in  the  spiritual  world, 
when  I  observed  a  grand  dock  or  arsenal  for  shipping :  I  walked 
towards  it,  and,  taking  a  nearer  view,  I  saw  vessels  of  various 
sizes,  laden  with  all  kinds  of  merchandise,  which  was  liberally 
distributed  to  all  comers,  by  some  boys  and  girls  that  sat  on 
the  decks.  And  I  heard  those  boys  and  girls  say,  "  We  are  in 
expectation  of  seeing  our  beautiful  turtles,  which  will  soon  rise 
out  of  the  sea,  and  come  to  us."  And  lo  !  I  saw  turtles  of  dif- 
ferent sizes,  both  great  and  small,  on  whose  shells  and  scales 
there  sat  young  turtles,  which  looked  towards  the  islands  that 
surrounded  the  coast.  The  parent  turtles  had  tw^o  heads,  one 
of  large  size,  covered  over  with  a  shell,  like  that  which  covered 
tlieir  bodies,  so  that  they  were  of  a  glowing  polish,  and  the  other 
of  small  size,  such  as  turtles  generally  have,  which  they  drew 
back  into  the  fore  part  of  the  body,  and  inserted  it,  in  a  man- 
ner scarcely  discernible,  into  the  larger  head.  I  kept  my  eyes 
fixed  on  one  of  the  large  shining  heads,  and  observed  that  it 
had  a  face  like  that  of  a  man,  and  that  it  talked  with  the  boys 
and  girls  that  were  sitting  on  the  decks,  and  licked  their  hands  ; 
whereupon  the  boys  and  girls  gently  stroked  them,  and  gave 
them  food  and  dainties,  with  various  precious  articles,  as  silk 
for  clothes,  almug  wood  for  tables,  purple  for  ornaments,  and 
scarlet  for  colouring.  Having  made  these  observations,  I  was 
desirous  to  learn  what  each  thing  represented,  because  I  knew 
that  all  appearances  in  the  spiritual  world  are  corresjDond- 
ences,  and  represent  something  spiritual  coming  down  from 
lieaven :  and  immediately  angels  entered  into  conversation  with 
me  from  lieaven,  and  said,  "  Thou  knowest  already  what  is  rep- 
resented by  a  dock  or  arsenal  for  shipping,  and  also  what  by 
ships,  and  by  boys  and  girls  on  their  decks ;  but  thou  dost  not 
know  what  is  signified  by  the  turtles.  Understand,  therefore, 
tliat  the  turtles  represent  such  of  the  clergy  as  entirely  separate 
faith  from  charity  and  its  good  M'orks,  affirming,  in  their  own 
minds,  that  there  is  no  sort  of  conjunction  between  them  what- 
ever, but  that  the  Holy  Spirit,  through  fiiith  in  God  the  Father, 
for  the  sake  of  his  Son's  merits,  enters  into  man,  and  purifies 
his  interiors,  till  it  reaches  to  man's  own  will,  of  which  will 
they  make,  as  it  were,  an  oval  plane,  supposing  that  when  the 
operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  approaches  that  plane,  it  turns 
itself  about  on  its  left  side,  and  never  enters  into  contact  with 
il,  and  that  thus  the  interior  or  superior  part  of  the  human 
faculties  is  intended  for  God,  and  the  exterior  or  inferior  part 
for  man ;  and,  consequently,  that  nothing  which  man  does  ap- 
pears in  God's  sight,  whether  it  be  good  or  evil,  the  good  not 
appearing  because  it  is  meritorious,  nor  the  evil  because  it  is 
evil,  whence  if  either  were  to  appear,  the  man  would  inevitably 
perish ;  but  as  they  are  there  kept  out  of  sight,  they  suppose 

344: 


Chap,  ix,]  THE   APOCALTPsE    REVEALED.  463 

that  it  is  allowable  for  a  man  to  will,  to  think,  to  speak,  and  to 
act,  as  he  pleases,  having  nothina:  to  guard  against  but  worldly 
censures  and  })unishments."  I  then  asked,  whether  such  per- 
sons assert  also,  that  it  is  allowable  to  think  of  God  as  not 
being  .onini])resent  and  omniscient:  and  the  angels  rejdied, 
"This  also  is  allowable  according  to  their  maxims,  since  God, 
with  such  as  have  obtained  faith,  and  are  thereby  purified  and 
justified,  does  not  look  at  any  thing  belonging  to  their  thought 
and  will ;  and  the}'  still  retain,  in  the  inner  chamber  or  superior 
regions  of  their  mind,  or  faculties,  that  faith  which  they  liad 
received  in  its  fii-st  act  or  operation,  which  act,  they  insist,  may 
some  time  or  other  return,  without  their  knowing  any  thing  of 
the  matter.  These  tenets  are  what  are  represented  by  the 
suiall  heatl,  which  they  draw  into  the  fore  part  of  the  body, 
and  also  insert  in  the  gi'eat  head,  whilst  they  talk  with  the  laity; 
for  their  discourses  with  such  persons  do  not  j^roceed  from  the 
small  head,  but  from  the  great  one,  which  appears  in  front, 
with  a  face  resembling  that  of  a  man  :  and  they  converse 
with  them  from  the  Word  about  love,  charity,  good  works,  the 
commandments  of  the  decalogue,  and  repentance ;  in  which 
discourses  they  quote  from  the  Word  almost  all  that  is  said  on 
these  subjects,  but  at  times  they  put  the  small  head  into  the 
great  one,  and  think  with  themselves  in  the  former,  that  these 
duties  are  not  to  be  performed  for  the  sake  of  God  and  salva- 
tion, but  only  with  a  view  to  the  public  good,  or  private  advan- 
tage. Since,  however,  their  discourses  on  such  occasions  are 
pleasing  and  elegant,  particularly  when  they  speak  about  the 
gospel,  the  opei-ation  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  aiul  the  nature  of 
salvation  ;  therefore  they  appear  to  their  hearers  like  handsome 
and  comelj'  persons,  of  a  wisdom  superior  to  the  rest  of  man- 
kind ;  and  this  is  the  reason  why,  as  thou  observedst,  the  boys 
and  girls  on  the  decks  of  the  ships  gave  them  delicate  food 
and  other  things  of  value.  These,  tlien,  are  they  whom  thou 
sawest  represented  as  turtles.  In  the  world  where  thou  livest, 
they  are  hardly  to  be  distinguished  from  other  peo])le,  save  in 
this  respect,  that  they  fancy  themselves  wiser  than  others,  and 
treat  the  rest  of  maidvind  with  contempt,  even  those  who  pro- 
fess the  same  doctrine  respecting  faith  as  themselves,  but  do 
not  dive  so  deep  into  its  mysteries.  They  carry  about  them  a 
particular  mark  or  badge,  in  their  clothes,  l)y  which  they  are 
Known  to  one  another.  I  shall  not  tell  thee,"  said  my  angelic 
instructor,  "  what  ai'e  their  sentiments  in  regard  to  other  sub- 
jects connected  with  their  faith,  as  election,  free-will,  baptism, 
and  the  holy  supper;  which  are  such  as  they  never  divulge,  but 
yet  are  known  to  us  in  heaven.  Tiiis,  however,  being  their 
nature  and  quality  in  the  world,  and  no  one  being  permitted, 
after  death,  to  think  one  thing  and  say  another,  therefore 
when  they  come  into  another  world,  where  they  cannot  refrain 
345 


463  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Cliap.  ix. 

from  uttering  all  their  wild  and  extravagant  conceits,  they  are 
considered  as  insane ;  and  they  are  expelled  from  all  societies, 
and  are  at  length  cast  doM'n  into  the  bottomless  pit,  mentioned 
in  the  Revelation  ix.  2,  where  they  become  corjjoreal  spirits,  and 
appear  like  Egyptian  mummies  ;  for  the  interiors  of  their  minds 
contract  a  hard  callous  covering,  by  reason  of  the  barrier  which 
they  themselves  had  placed  between  the  two  regions  of  their 
minds  while  in  the  world.  The  infernal  society,  consisting  of 
Buch  spirits,  is  in  the  neighbourhood  of  that  of  the  Machia- 
velists  ;  and  they  are  continually  passing  from  one  to  the  other, 
and  calling  one  another  fellow-companions ;  but  they  do  not 
stay  long  with  each  other,  because  tliere  is  a  diversity  between 
them,  arising  from  the  circumstance,  that  some  sort  of  religious 
impi'ession,  connected  with  their  notion  concerning  the  act  of 
justification  by  faith,  had  been  cherished  by  the  former,  whilst 
the  Machiavelists  had  rejected  every  thing  of  the  kind." 

After  I  had  seen  these  spirits  expelled  from  the  societies, 
and  collected  together,  in  order  to  be  cast  down  into  the  bot- 
tomless pit,  I  observed  a  ship  flying  in  the  air,  having  seven 
sails,  and  in  it  oflicers  and  sailors  clad  in  purple  garments,  with 
caps  magnificently  adorned  with  laurel,  who  exclaimed,  with  a 
loud  voice,  "■  Lo,  we  are  in  heaven  !  we  are  the  truly  learned, 
distinguished  above  others  by  our  purple  robes,  and  our  grand 
laurel  wreaths,  because  we  are  the  chief  of  the  wise  from  all 
the  clergy  in  Europe."  I  was  wondering  what  this  exhibition 
could  mean,  when  I  was  informed  that  it  arose  from  tlie  con- 
ceited images,  and  ideal  thoughts  called  phantasies,  that  pro- 
ceeded from  those  who  had  before  appeared  as  turtles,  and  who 
were  now  exjDelled  from  every  society,  as  persons  insane,  and 
collected  in  a  body  into  one  place.  I  was  straightway  seized 
with  a  desire  to  converse  with  them,  and  accordingly  walked 
towards  the  place  where  they  were  assembled,  and  paid  m} 
respects  to  them,  and  said,  "  Are  ye  the  people  who  have  sepa- 
rated tlie  internals  of  men  from  their  externals,  and  the  oj^era- 
tion  of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  being  within  faith,  from  its  co-opera- 
tion with  man's,  as  having  nothing  to  do  with  faith,  and  who 
have  thus  separated  God  from  man  ?  Have  ye  not,  by  so  doing, 
not  only  separated  charity  and  its  works  from  faith,  as  many 
other  teachers  among  the  clergy  have  done,  but  also  faith  itself, 
as  to  its  manifestation  in  the  sight  of  God,  from  man?  But, 
in  discussing  this  subject  with  you,  which  do  you  prefer,  that  I 
should  draw  my  arguments  from  reason,  or  from  the  Sacred 
Scriptures?"  And  they  said,  "  Begin  with  reason."  So  I  pro- 
ceeded, sa3nng,  "  How  is  it  possible  for  the  internal  and  exter- 
nal of  man  to  be  separated  from  each  other?  Who  does  not, 
or  cannot,  see  plainly  by  virtue  of  a  perception  common  to  all 
men,  that  all  the  interiors  of  man  proceed  and  are  continued 
to  his  exteriors,  and  even  to  his  most  external,  in  order  to 
346 


Chap,  ix.]  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  463 

produce  their  effects  and  perform  tlieir  works?  Do  not  inter 
nal  things  exist  for  the  sake  of  external,  that  they  may  be 
terminated  by  them,  and  subsist  in  them,  and  thus  exist,  just 
as  a  cohimn  does  uj^on  its  pedestal?  How  plain  is  it  to  see, 
that  unless  there  was  such  a  continuation  and  consequent  con- 
junction, the  things  most  external  must  be  dissolved  and  melt 
to  nothing,  like  bnbbles  in  the  air?  AVho  can  deny  that  the 
interior  (tperations  of  God  in  num  are  myriads  of  myriads, 
utterly  unKuown  to  man  himself?  And  what  signifies  it,  if  they 
DC  unknown  or  not,  ])rovided  only  that  what  is  extreme  and 
most  exteriud  be  known,  in  which  man,  with  his  thought  and 
will,  is  together  with  God?  But  let  us  illustrate  this  nuitter 
by  an  example :  Is  a  num  at  all  acquainted  with  the  operations 
of  his  facnlty  of  speech,  as,  how  the  lungs  draw  in  the  air,  and 
thereby  till  the  vesicles,  the  bronchia,  and  the  lobes;  how  they 
emit  it  into  the  trachea,  and  there  convert  it  into  sound;  how 
the  sound  is  moditied  in  the  glottis  by  tlie  assistance  of  the  la- 
rynx ;  and  how  the  tongue  afterwards  articulates  it,  and  the  lips 
complete  the  articulation,  in  order  to  its  becoming  speech  ?  Do 
not  all  these  interior  operations,  of  which  man  is  altogether  un- 
conscious, exist  for  the  sake  of  the  last  or  most  external,  which 
is  articulate  discourse?  If  you  remove  or  separate  any  one  of 
those  internal  operations,  so  as  to  destroy  its  connexion  with  the 
last,  or  most  external,  would  it  not  be  as  impossible  for  man  to 
speak,  as  for  a  stock  or  a  stone?  Take  another  example; — the 
two  hands  are  the  ultimate  or  extreme  parts  of  the  hunuin  body ; 
but  do  not  the  interior,  which  are  continued  to  them,  descend 
from  the  head  through  the  neck,  and  also  through  the  breast, 
the  shoulders,  the  arms,  and  the  fore-arms?  Are  there  not  in- 
numerable muscular  textures,  innumerable  orders  of  moving 
iibres,  innumerable  collections  of  nerves  and  blood-vessels,  with 
several  bony  articulations  with  their  ligaments  and  membranes, 
of  which  man  is  utterly  unconscious?  And  yet,  are  not  all  and 
every  one  of  these  unknown  parts  necessary  to  the  operation  of 
the  hands?  Supposing  those  interior  parts  to  be  reflected  back 
to  the  right  or  left  about  the  elbow-joint,  and  not  to  be  con- 
tinued bek)w,  w^ould  not  the  hand,  in  such  case,  necessarily  fall 
from  the  joint,  and  putrefy,  like  something  inanimate  that  was 
separated  from  all  connexion  with  the  source  of  its  life  ?  Doubt- 
less, under  such  circumstances,  it  would  be  with  the  haiul  as  it 
is  with  the  body,  when  a  man  is  beheaded.  Just  so  would  it 
be  also  with  the  human  mind,  and  with  its  two  lives,  the  will 
and  the  understanding,  sup])osing  the  divine  operations,  M'hich 
relate  to  faith  and  charity,  should  stop  in  the  middle  of  their 
course,  and  not  proceed  by  continued  coniiexion  to  the  man 
himself;  in  such  case,  num  would  be  not  only  a  brute-aninud, 
but  a  rotten  branch 'broken  off  from  its  parent  stock.  Thus  far 
I  have  explained  to  vou  the  dictates  of  reason,  in  regard  to  tliia 
347 


4t53  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Chap.  X. 

si.bject;  I  sluiU  now  show  you,  if  ye  are  disposed  to  hear  me, 
that  the  Sacred  Scripture  inculcates  the  same  doctrine ;  for 
does  not  the  Lord  say,  '  Ahide  in  me,  and  I  in  you :  I  am  the 
vine,  ye  are  the  branches  :  He  that  abideth  in  me,  and  I  in  him, 
the  same  bringeth  forth  much  fruit?'  John  vii.  4,  5.  Does  not 
fruit  mean  the  good  works,  wliich  the  Lord  operates  by  man ; 
and  which  man  operates  of  himself  from  the  Lord?  Again, 
the  Lord  says,  '  Behold !  I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock ;  if  any 
man  will  open  the  door,  I  will  come  into  him  and  sup  with  him, 
and  he  with  me,'  Rev.  iii,  20.  Does  not  the  Lord  give  pounds 
and  talents  to  the  intent  that  men  should  trade  with  them  and 
make  profit  of  them,  and  in  proportion  to  such  profit  should 
receive  eternal  life  ?  Matt.  xv.  14 — 34 ;  Luke  xix.  13 — 26. 
And  again :  Does  not  he  give  to  every  one  according  to  the 
work  which  he  does  in  his  vineyard  ?  Matt.  xx.  1 — 17.  But 
tliese  are  only  a  few  passages,  selected  out  of  many ;  for  it 
would  be  easy  to  fill  sheets  Avith  extracts  from  the  Word,  insist- 
ing that  man  ought  to  bear  fruit  like  a  tree;  that  he  ought  to 
work  in  obedience  to  the  commandments  ;  that  he  ought  to  love 
God  and  his  neighbour,  and  the  like.  I  am  well  aware,  how- 
ever, that  your  own  intelligence,  grounded  in  your  proprium  or 
selfhood,  cannot  have  any  thing  in  common  with  the  contents  of 
the  Word,  according  to  their  true  and  proper  sense,  and,  there- 
fore, notwithstanding  you  can  introduce  such  passages  into  your 
discourse,  yet  the  ideas  you  attach  to  them  are  such  as  pervert 
them ;  and  this  is  a  necessary  consequence  of  your  removing 
all  things  that  are  of  God  from  man,  as  to  communication  and 
conjunction :  -what  more  can  you  reject,  unless  you  also  aban- 
don all  things  belonging  to  worship  ?"  After  I  had  ended  these 
words,  the  assembly  ajjpeared  to  me  in  the  light  of  heaven, 
which  detects  and  manifests  the  true  nature  and  quality  of 
every  one;  and  then  they  no  longer  seemed  floating  aloft  in  a 
ship,  as  if  exalted  into  heaven,  nor  clothed  in  purple,  nor 
crowned  with  laurel  wreaths,  but  in  a  sandy  place,  in  tattered 
garments,  having  their  loins  girt  about  with  nets  like  those 
used  by  fishermen,  through  which  their  nakedness  appeared : 
and  then  they  sunk  down  to  the  society  bordering  on  the 
Machiavelists. 


CHAPTER  X. 


1.  And  I  saw  another  mighty  angel  coming  down  from  liea- 
ven,  clothed  with  a  cloud ;  and  a  rainbow  was  over  his  head,  and 
his  face  was  as  it  were  the  sun,  and  his  feet  as  pillars  of  fire. 
348 


Chap.  X.]  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED. 

2.  And  lie  had  in  his  hand  a  little  book  open.  And  lie  set 
his  right  foot  upon  the  sea,  and  his  left  upon  the  earth, 

3.  And  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  as  when  a  lion  roareth. 
And  when  he  cried,  seven  thunders  uttered  their  voices. 

4.  And  when  the  seven  thunders  had  uttered  their  voices,  I 
was  about  to  write  :  and  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  saying 
unto  me,  Seal  up  those  things  which  the  seven  thunders  uttered, 
and  write  them  not. 

5.  And  the  angel  whom  I  saw  standing  upon  the  sea  and 
upon  the  earth  lifted  up  his  hand  to  heaven, 

6.  And  sware  by  him  that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever,  who  cre- 
ated heaven,  and  the  things  tliat  therein  are,  and  the  earth, 
and  the  things  tliat  therein  are,  and  tlie  sea,  and  the  things  that 
are  therein,  that  there  should  be  time  no  longer: 

7.  But  in  the  days  of  the  voice  of  the  seventh  angel,  when 
lie  is  about  to  sound,  the  mystery  of  God  should  be  tinished ; 
as  he  hath  declared  to  his  servants  the  prophets. 

8.  And  the  voice  which  I  heard  from  heaven,  spake  unto 
me  again,  and  said.  Go,  take  the  little  book,  which  is  open  in 
the  hand  of  the  angel  who  is  standing  upon  the  sea  and  upon 
the  earth. 

9.  And  I  went  unto  the  angel,  and  said  unto  him.  Give  me 
the  little  book.  And  he  said  unto  me,  Take  it,  and  eat  it  up  ; 
and  it  shall  make  thy  belly  bitter,  but  it  shall  be  in  thy  mouth 
sweet  as  honey. 

10.  And  I  took  the  little  book  out  of  the  angel's  hand,  and 
ate  it  up ;  and  it  was  in  my  mouth  sweet  as  honey  ;  and  when 
I  had  eaten  it,  my  belly  was  bitter. 

11.  And  he  said  unto  me,  Thou  must  prophesy  again  be- 
fore many  peoples,  and  nations,  and  tongues,  and  kings. 


THE  SPIRITUAL  SENSE. 

The  Contents  of  the  whole  Chapter.  The  exploration  and 
manifestation  of  those  who  are  in  the  reformed  church  is  still 
treated  of;  in  the  present  chapter,  what  their  belief  is  con- 
cerning the  Lord,  as  to  his  being  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth, 
as  he  himself  taught  in  Matthew  xxviii.  18  ;  and  as  to  his  Hu- 
manity being  divine;  that  these  articles  of  belief  are  not  re- 
ceived in  those  churches  ;  and  that  it  is  no  easy  matter  for  them 
to  be  received,  so  long  as  a  belief  in  justification  by  faith  alono 
ia  so  strongly  fixed  in  their  hearts. 

The  Contents  of  each  Yekse.  Y.  1,  "And  I  saw  another 
mighty  angel  coming  down  from  heaven,"  signifies  the  Lord  in 
divine  majesty  and  power  :  "  Clothed  with  a  cloud,  and  a  raia- 
349 


THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Chap.  X. 

bow  was  over  liis  head,"  signifies  his  divine  natural  and  his 
divine  spiritual  principles :  "  And  his  face  was  as  it  were  the 
sun,"  signifies  divine  love,  and  at  the  same  time  divine  wisdom  : 
"  And  his  feet  as  pillars  of  fire,"  signifies  the  Lord's  divine 
natural  principle,  as  to  divine  love,  which  sustains  all  things : 
V.  2,  "  And  he  had  in  his  hand  a  little  hook  open,"  signifies  the 
Word  as  to  this  doctrinal  point  therein,  that  the  Lord  is  the  God 
of  heaven  and  earth,  and  that  his  Humanity  is  divine  :  "  And 
lie  set  his  right  foot  upon  the  sea,  and  his  left  upon  the  earth," 
signifies  that  the  Lord  lias  the  universal  church  under  his  au- 
spices and  dominion  :  v.  3,  "  And  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  as 
when  a  lion  roareth,"  signifies  grievous  lamentation  by  reason 
of  the  church  being  taken  from  him  :  "  And  when  lie  cried,  seven 
thunders  uttered  their  voices,"  signifies  that  the  Lord  revealed 
throughout  the  universal  heaven  what  was  in  the  little  book  : 
V.  4,  "  And  when  the  seven  thunders  had  uttered  their  voices, 
I  was  about  to  write  :  and  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying 
unto  me.  Seal  up  those  things  which  the  seven  thunders  uttered, 
and  write  them  not,"  signifies  that  these  things  indeed  are  made 
manifest,  but  that  they  will  not  be  received  till  after  they  wh 
are  meant  by  the  dragon,  the  beast,  and  the  false  prophet,  ai-e 
cast  out  of  the  world  of  spirits,  because  there  would  be  danger 
were  they  to  be  received  before :  v.  5,  "  And  the  angel  whom 
I  saw  standing  upon  the  sea  and  upon  the  earth  lifted  up  his 
hand  to  heaven  (v.  6),  and  sware  by  him  that  livetli  for  ever  and 
ever,"  signifies  the  attestation  and  testification  of  the  Lord  by 
himself:  "  Who  created  heaven,  and  the  things  that  therein 
are,  and  the  earth,  and  the  things  that  therein  are,  and  the  sea, 
and  the  things  that  are  therein,"  signifies,  who  vivifies  all  that 
are  in  heaven  and  that  are  in  the  church,  and  every  thing  in 
general  and  in  particular  with  them  :  "  That  there  should  be 
time  no  longer,"  signifies  that  there  cannot  be  any  state  of  the 
church,  or  any  church,  except  one  God  be  acknowledged,  and 
that  the  Lord  is  that  God  :  v.  7,  "  But  in  the  days  of  the  voice 
of  the  seventh  angel,  when  he  is  about  to  sound,"  signifies  the 
final  exploration  and  manifestation  of  the  state  of  the  church 
which  must  perish,  unless  a  new  one  be  established  by  the 
Lord  :  "  The  mystery  of  God  should  be  finished,  as  he  hath  de- 
clared to  his  servants  the  prophets,"  signifies  that  then  it  will 
appear,  that  it  is  foretold  in  the  Word  of  both  Testaments,  but 
has  hitherto  been  concealed,  that  after  the  last  judgment  is  exe- 
cuted upon  those  who  have  devastated  the  church,  the  Lord's 
kingdom  will  come :  v.  8,  "  And  the  voice  which  I  heard  from 
heaven,  spake  unto  me  again,  and  said,  Go,  take  the  little  book, 
which  is  open  in  the  hand  of  the  angel  who  is  standing  upon 
the  sea  and  upon  the  earth,"  signifies  a  command  from  heaven, 
that  they  should  admit  that  doctrine,  but  that  it  should  be  made 
manifest  by  John  how  it  would  be  received  in  the  church,  be- 
350 


T.  l.J  THE   APOCAXYPSE    REVEALED.  464,  465 

fore  they  who  are  meant  by  the  dragon,  the  Least,  and  the 
false  prophet,  are  removed:  v.  9,  "And  I  went  unto  the  angel, 
and  said  unto  him.  Give  me  the  little  book,"  signifies  a  motion, 
or  inclination  of  the  mind,  with  many,  to  receive  the  doctrine: 
"And  he  said  unto  me,  Take  it,  and  eat  it,  and  it  sliall  make 
thy  belly  bitter,  but  it  shall  be  in  thy  mouth  sweet  as  honey," 
signities  that  reception  from  the  acknowledgment  that  the  Lord 
is  the  Saviour  and  Redeemer,  is  grateful  and  pleasing,  but  that 
the  acknowledgment  that  he  alone  is  the  God  of  heaven  and 
earth,  and  that  his  Humanity  is  divine,  is  unpleasing  and  diffi- 
cult to  relieve  by  reason  of  falsifications:  v.  10,  "And  I  took 
the  little  book  out  of  the  angel's  hand,  and  ate  it  up ;  and  it 
was  in  my  mouth  sweet  as  honey ;  and  when  I  had  eaten  it, 
my  belly  was  bitter,"  signifies  that  so  it  came  to  pass,  and  was 
thus  manifested:  v.  11,  "And  he  said  unto  me.  Thou  nmst 
prophesy  again  before  many  peoples,  and  nations,  and  tongues, 
and  kings,"  signifies  that  because  it  is  so,  the  quality  of  those 
who  are  in  faith  alone  must  be  further  shown. 


THE  EXPLANATION. 

464.  In  this  and  the  following  chapter  the  Lord  is  treated 
of  as  being  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  that  as  to  his 
Humanity  also  he  is  God ;  consequently  that  he  is  Jehovah 
himself.  That  this  is  the  subject  treated  of  in  these  two 
chapters,  may  be  seen  from  their  contents,  as  understood  in  a 
spiritual  sense,  and  from  their  conclusion,  chap.  xi.  15 — 17. 

465.  And  I  saw  another  mighty  angel  coming  down  from 
heaven^  signifies  the  Lord  in  divine  majesty  and  power.  That 
this  angel  is  the  Lord,  is  evident  from  the  description  of  him, 
as  being  enconq)assed  with  a  cloud,  a  rainbow  over  his  head, 
liis  face  as  the  sun,  his  feet  like  columns  of  fire,  and  that  he  set 
his  feet  upon  the  sea  and  upon  the  earth ;  as  also  that  he  cried 
with  a  loud  voice  as  when  a  lion  roareth,  and  spake  as  thunder. 
He  was  seen  as  an  angel,  because  he  ai)pears  in  the  heavens 
and  below  the  heavens,  when  he  manifests  himself,  as  an  angel ; 
for  he  fills  some  angel  with  his  Divinity  in  accommodation  to 
the  reception  of  those  to  whom  he  gives  to  see  him.  His 
presence  itself,  such  as  he  is  in  himself  or  in  his  own  essence, 
cannot  be  supported  by  any  angel,  much  less  by  any  man  ; 
wherefore  he  appears  above  the  heavens  as  a  sun,  at  a  distance 
from  the  angels,  as  the  sun  of  this  world  is  from  men ;  there  he 
dwells  in  his  Divinity  from  eternity,  and  at  the  same  time  in 
his  Divine  Humanity,  which  are  a  one  like  soul  and  body.    He 

351 


iQG 4:68        THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  [Chap.  X. 

is  here  called  a  mighty  angel  from  liis  divine  power:  and  it  is 
said,  another  angel,  by  reason  of  another  divine  attribute  of 
liis,  different  from  the  former,  being  here  described. 

466.  Clothed  with  a  cloudy  and  a  rainhoio  was  over  his 
head,  signifies  his  divine  natural  and  divine  spiritual  principles. 
By  the  cloud  with  which  he  was  clothed,  is  signified  the  divine 
natural  principle ;  wherefore  the  Word  in  its  natural  sense, 
which  also  is  from  him,  thus  is  his,  and  himself,  is  signified  by 
cloud,  n.  24;  by  a  rainbow  is  signified  the  divine  spiritual  prin- 
ciple, and  as  tliis  is  above  the  natural,  therefoi-e  the  rainbow 
appeared  over  his  head.  It  must  be  observed,  that  the  Lord  is 
present  with  men  in  his  divine  natural  principle,  but,  with  the 
angels  of  his  spiritual  kingdom,  in  his  divine  spiritual  principle, 
and  with  the  angels  of  his  celestial  kingdom,  in  his  divine  ce- 
lestial principle ;  still  he  is  not  divided,  but  appears  to  every 
one  according  to  his  quality.  The  Lord's  divine  spiritual  prin- 
ciple is  also  signified  by  the  rainbow  in  Ezekiel :  "And  above 
tlie  firmament  (of  the  cherubs)  was  the  likeness  of  a  throne," 
and  upon  it  the  appearance  of  a  man ;  and  from  the  fire  of  his 
loins  there  was  as  it  were  the  appearance  of  the  how  which  is 
in  the  cloud  in  the  day  of  rain,  "  this  was  the  appearance  of 
the  glory  of  Jehovah,"  i.  26,  28,  29.  By  a  throne  is  signified 
heaven  ;  by  the  man  upon  it,  the  Lord  ;  by  the  fire  of  his  loins, 
celestial  love  ;  and  by  the  rainbow,  divine  truth  spiritual,  which 
also  is  of  his  divine  wisdom.  By  the  rainbow,  of  which  it  is 
written  in  Moses :  "  /  have  set  my  how  in  the  cloud,  and  it 
shall  be  for  a  token  of  a  covenant  between  me  and  the  earth," 
and  when  it  shall  be  seen  in  the  cloud,  "  I  will  remember  my 
covenant,"  Gen.  ix.  12 — 17,  nothing  else  is  meant  but  divine 
truth  spiritual  in  the  natural  degree,  with  the  man  who  is  re- 
generated ;  for  man,  when  he  is  regenerated,  from  natural  be- 
comes spiritual;  and  inasmuch  as  there  is  then  a  conjunction 
of  the  Lord  with  him,  therefore  it  is  said,  that  the  bow  in  the 
cloud  should  be  for  a  sign  of  a  covenant ;  covenant  signifying 
conjunction.  That  there  is  no  conjunction  of  the  Lord  with 
man  by  rainbows,  in  the  world,  is  evident, 

467.  And  his  face  %oas  as  it  were  the  sun,  signifies  divine 
love,  and  at  the  same  time  divine  -wisdom,  as  is  evident  from 
the  explanation  above,  n.  53 ;  where  the  same  is  said  of  the 
Son  of  Man. 

468.  And  his  feet  as  pillars  of  fire,  signifies  the  Lord's  di- 
vine natural  principle  as  to  divine  love,  whicii  sustains  all  things. 
This  also  appears  from  the  explanation  above,  at  n,  49 ;  where 
it  is  said  of  the  Son  of  Man,  that  "  his  feet  were  like  fine  brass, 
as  though  they  burned  in  a  furnace."  The  reason  why  his  feet 
seemed  like  pillars  of  fire  is,  because  the  Lord's  divine  natural 
principle,  which  in  itself  is  the  Divine  Humanity  M'hich  he  took 
upon  him  in  the  world,  sustains  his  Eternal  Divinity,  as  the 

352 


V.  1,  2.J  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  469 

body  does  the  soul,  and  as  the  natural  sense  of  the  Word  sus- 
tains its  spiritual  and  celestial  sense  ;  on  which  subject  see  The 
Doctrine  of  the  JVeio  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Sacred  Scripture^ 
n.  27 — 49.  That  the  feet  sio^nity  what  is  natural,  may  be  seen, 
n.  49  ;  and  that  a  pillar  signifies  support,  n.  191.  Fire  signifies 
love,  because  spiritual  fire  is  nothing  else ;  therefore  it  is  usual 
to  pray,  that  heavenly  fire  may  be  kindled  in  the  heart ;  that  is, 
celestial  love.  That  there  is  a  correspondence  between  fire  and 
love,  may  be  known  from  this  circumstance,  that  man  grows 
warm  from  love,  and  grows  cold  from  the  privation  thereof, 
there  being  nothing  else  that  constitutes  vital  heat,  but  love  in 
both  senses ;  the  origin  of  correspondences  is  from  tAvo  suns, 
one  in  the  heavens  which  is  pure  love,  and  the  other  in  the 
world  which  is  pure  fire  ;  hence,  also,  is  derived  the  correspond- 
ence between  all  spiritual  and  natural  things.  Since  fire  sig- 
nifies divine  love,  therefore  Jehovah  was  seen  by  Moses  on 
Mount  Horeb  in  the  bush  on  Jli^e,  Exod.  iii.  1 — 3.  And  de- 
scended upon  Mount  Sinai  in  fire,  Deut.  iv.  36.  And  there- 
fore the  seven  lamps  of  the  candlestick  in  the  tabernacle  were 
lighted  up  every  evening,  that  they  might  hum  before  Jehovah, 
Levit.  xxiv.  2 — 4.  And  for  the  same  reason,  the  fire  hurned 
continually  upon  the  altar,  and  was  never  put  out,  Levit.  vi.  9. 
And  they  took  fire  from  the  altar  to  put  into  their  censers 
when  incense  was  offered,  Levit.  xvi.  12,  13  ;  Numb.  xvi.  6, 12. 
Hence  it  was  that  Jehovah  went  before  the  children  of  Israel 
by  night  in  ?i  pillar  of  fire,  Exod.  xiii.  21,  22.  That  there  was 
&.  fire  by  night  over  the  tabernacle,  Exod.  xl.  38  ;  Psalm  cv.  37, 
39  ;  Isaiah  iv.  5,  6.  Tl\\&t  fire  from  heaven  consumed  the  burnt- 
ofterin^  upon  the  altar,  as  a  sign  of  the  Lord's  being  well 
pleased,  Levit.  ix.  24 ;  1  Kings  xviii.  38.  That  the  burnt- 
offering  was  called  an  offering  made  by  fire  to  Jehovah,  and 
an  offering  by  fire  of  an  odour  of  rest  to  Jehovah,  Exod.  xxix. 
18;  Levit.  i.  9,  13,  17;  ii.  2,  9,  10,  12;  iii.  5,  16;  iv.  31;  v. 
12;  vi.  30;  xxi.  6;  Numb,  xxxviii.  2;  Deut.  xviii.  1.  That 
the  eyes  of  the  Lord  seemed  as  afianoe  of  fire,  Apoc.  i.  14;  ii. 
18  ;  xix.  12;  Dan.  x.  5,  6.  That  seven  lamjys  of  fire  burned 
before  the  throne,  Apoc.  iv.  5.  Hence  it  is  evident,  what  is 
signified  by  lam2)s  with  oil  and  without  oil.  Matt,  xxv.  1 — 11. 
By  oil  is  understood  fire,  and  thus  love ;  as  also  in  many  other 
passages.  That  fire,  in  an  opposite  sense,  signifies  infernal  lova, 
is  evident  from  so  many  passages  in  the  Word,  that  it  is  needf- 
less  to  adduce  them  by  reason  of  their  abundance :  something 
may  be  seen  on  this  subject  in  the  work  on  Heaven  and  lleU, 
n.  566—575. 

469.  And,  he  had  in  his  hand  a  little  hooJc  open,  signifies  tUe; 
Word  as  to  this  doctrinal  point  therein,  that  the  Lord  is  the, 
God  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  that  his  Humanity  is  Divine. 
That  by  the  Book,  which  the  Lamb  took  from  Ilim  that  sat  ou 
353  X 


470  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Chap.  X. 

tlie  throne,  and  the  seven  seals  of  which  he  loosed,  Apoc.  v.  1. 
7;  vi.  1,  is  meant  the  Word,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  256,  259, 
295,  and  following  :  therefore  by  the  little  book  in  the  hand  of 
the  angel,  who  also  is  the  Lord,  n.  405,  nothing  else  is  here 
meant  but  the  Word  as  to  some  essential  therein.  That  this  is 
the  doctrinal  point  in  the  Word,  which  teaches  that  the  Lord  is 
the  God  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  that  his  Humanity  is  Divine, 
is  evident  from  the  spiritual  sense  of  all  the  particulars  in  this 
and  the  following  chapter,  and  also  from  the  natural  sense  of 
the  next  or  11th  chapter,  verses  15 — 17.  The  little  book  is  said 
to  be  open  because  that  doctrine  appears  manifestly  in  the 
Word,  and  is  evident  to  every  one  who  reads  it  with  attention. 
Tills  is  the  subject  now  treated  of,  because  it  is  the  very  essen- 
tial of  the  New  Church ;  the  reason  is,  because  on  the  know- 
ledge and  acknowledgment  of  God  depends  the  salvation  of 
every  one  ;  for,  as  was  observed  in  the  Preface,  "  The  universal 
heaven,  and  the  universal  church  on  earth,  and,  in  general, 
all  religion,  has  its  foundation  in  a  just  idea  of  God  ;  because 
hereby  there  is  conjunction,  and  by  conjunction,  light,  wisdom, 
and  eternal  happiness."  Since  the  Lord  is  the  very  God  of 
heaven  and  earth,  therefore  no  one,  who  does  not  acknowledge 
him,  is  admitted  into  heaven,  for  heaven  is  his  body  ;  but  stands 
without,  and  is  bit  by  serpents,  that  is,  by  infernal  spirits, 
for  whose  bite  there  is  no  cure  but  that  which  the  sons  of  Israel 
experienced  by  looking  up  to  the  brazen  serpent,  ISTunib.  xxi. 
1 — 10  ;  by  which  is  meant  the  Lord  as  to  his  Divine  Humanity, 
as  is  plain  from  this  passage  in  John :  "  And  as  Moses  lifted  up 
the  serpent  in  the  wilderness,  even  so  must  the  Son  of  Man  be 
lifted  up ;  that  whosoever  believeth  in  him,  should  not  perish, 
but  have  eternal  life,"  John  iii.  14,  15. 

470.  And  he  set  his  right  foot  upon  the  sea,  and  his  left  upon 
the  earth,  signifies  that  the  Lord  has  the  universal  church,  as 
well  those  therein  who  are  in  its  externals,  as  those  who  are  in 
its  internals,  under  his  auspices  and  dominion.  By  the  sea  and 
the  earth  is  signified  the  universal  church ;  by  the  sea,  the  ex- 
ternal church,  that  is,  they  who  are  in  its  externals ;  and  by 
the  earth,  the  internal  church,  that  is,  they  who  are  in  its  in- 
ternals, n.  398.  By  setting  his  feet  upon  them,  is  signified  to 
hold  all  in  subjection  to  himself,  consequently,  under  his  divine 
auspices  and  dominion.  Since  the  Lord's  church  on  earth  is 
beneath  the  heavens,  therefore  it  is  called  his  foot-stool,  as  in 
these  places :  "  And  cast  down  from  heaven  unto  the  earth  the 
beauty  of  Israel,  and  remembered  not  his  foot-stool,''^  Lament. 
ii.  1.  "And  the  earth  is  ray  foot-stool,''^  Isaiah  Ixvi.  1.  "We 
will  go  into  his  tabernacles  :  we  will  worship  at  his  footstool,''^ 
Psalm  cxxxii.  7.  Swear  not  at  all ;  neither  by  heaven,  for  it  is 
(rod's  throne  ;  nor  by  the  earth,  for  it  is  his  foot-stool,  Matt.  v. 
34,  35.  "  I  will  make  the  place  of  my  feet  glorious,"  Isaiah  Ix, 
354 


V  2,  3. J  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  471 

13,  "Tliou  madost  liim  to  have  dominion  over  the  works  of 
thy  hands;  thou  liast  put  all  thing-s  under  iiis /I?^^,"  Psalm  viii. 
6;  speaking-  of  the  Lord.  He  set  his  right  foot  upon  the  sea, 
and  nis  left  upon  the  earth,  because  they  who  are  in  the  exter- 
nals of  the  church,  have  not  so  strongly  confirmed  themselves 
in  falses,  as  they  who  are  in  its  internals. 

471.  And  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  as  when  a  lion  roareth, 
signilies  grievous  lamentation  by  reason  of  the  church  being 
taken  from  him.  That  by  crying  with  a  loud  voice  as  a  lion 
roareth,  is  signified  a  grievous  lamentation  respecting  the  church, 
and  this  by  reason  of  its  being  taken  from  him,  is  evident  from 
what  is  explained  in  the  foregoing  chapter,  where  the  states  of 
life  of  those  who  are  of  the  church  wei'e  explored  and  laid  oj^en, 
which  were  lamentable  ;  also  from  its  being  said  in  this  chajjter, 
that  the  angel  sware  by  him  that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever,  that 
there  should  be  time  no  longer,  by  which  is  signified  that  there 
would  be  no  church ;  and,  in  the  following  chapter,  that  the 
beast,  which  came  up  out  of  the  bottomless  pit,  slew  his  two 
witnesses  ;  and  especially  from  his  not  being  acknowledged  imd 
approached,  although  he  is  the  God  of  heaven  and  eartli.  La- 
mentation concerning  these  things  is  signified  by  his  roaring  as 
a  lion,  for  a  lion  roars  when  he  sees  his  enemies  and  is  assaulted 
by  them,  and  when  he  sees  his  whelps  and  prey  taken  from  him  ; 
so  does  the  Lord,  comparatively,  when  he  sees  his  church  taken 
from  him  by  devils.  That  this  is  what  is  signified  by  roaring  as 
a  lion,  may  appear  from  these  passages  :  "  Like  as  the  lion  and 
the  young  lion  roaring  on  his  prey,  when  a  multitude  of  shep- 
herds is  called  forth  against  him,  so  shall  Jehovah  of  hosts  come 
down  to  fight  for  Mount  Zion,"  Isaiah  xxxi.  4.  "Therefore  is 
the  anger  of  Jehovah  kindled  against  his  people,  his  roaring  is 
like  a  lion's,  he  roareth  like  the  young  lions,  yea,  he  shall  war 
and  lay  hold  of  the  prey :  behold,  darkness  and  sorrow,  and 
the  light  is  darkened  in  the  heavens  thereof,"  Isaiah  v.  25 — 30. 
"  Jehovah  shall  roar  from  on  high,  and  utter  his  voice  from  his 
holy  habitation,  he  shall  migJitily  roar  upon  his  habitation," 
Jerem.  xxv.  30,  31.  "  Jehovah  also  shall  7'oar  out  of  Zion, 
and  utter  his  voice  from  Jerusalem,"  Joel  iii.  16.  "I  will  not 
return  to  destroy  Ephraim, — they  shall  walk  after  Jehovah  ;  he 
shall  roar  like  a  lion  ;  when  he  shall  roar^"*  Hosea  xi.  9,  10. 
"The  lion  hath  roared,  who  will  not  fear?  the  Lord  Jehovah 
hath  spoken,  who  can  but  prophesy?"  Amos  iii.  7,  8.  God 
roareth  with  his  voice,  "he  tliundereth  marvellously  with  his 
voice,"  Job  xxxvii.  4,  5.  Tiuit  roaring  signifies  grievous  lamen- 
tation, is  evident  fronj  the  following :  "  My  bones  waxed  old 
through  my  roaring  all  the  day  long,"  Psalm  xxxii.  3.  "  I  am 
feeble  and  sore  broken,  I  have  roared  by  reason  of  the  disquiet- 
ness  of  my  heart,"  Psalm  xxxviii  9.  "  For  my  sighing  cometh 
355 


472  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Chap.  X. 

before  I  eat,  and  my  roarings  are  poured  out  like  the  waters," 
Job  iii.  24.  ^ 

472.  And  when  he  cried,  seven  thunders  uttered  their  voices, 
signifies  that  the  Lord  revealed  throughout  the  universal  heaven 
what  was  in  the  little  book.  This  signification  is  evident,  be- 
cause it  presently  follows,  that  he  was  about  to  write  what  the 
seven  thunders  uttered,  but  was  enjoined  from  heaven  to  seal  it 
up  and  not  to  write  it ;  and  afterwards  to  eat  up  the  little  book ; 
and  that  in  his  mouth  it  was  sweet  as  honey,  but  that  it  made 
his  belly  bitter ;  by  which  is  signified  that  such  things  were 
in  it  as  could  not  yet  be  received :  the  reason  may  be  seen  in 
the  following  article.  But  I  will  show  what  was  in  the  little 
book ;  it  contained  those  things,  for  instance,  which  are  to  be 
found  in  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the 
Lord,  from  beginning  to  end,  which  are  as  follows :  That  the 
whole  Sacred  Scripture  relates  to  the  Lord,  and  that  the  Lord 
is  the  Word,  n.  1 — 7.  That  by  the  Lord's  fulfilling  all  things 
of  the  law,  is  meant,  that  he  fulfilled  all  things  of  the  Word, 
n,  8 — 11.  That  the  Lord  came  into  the  world  to  subdue  the 
hells  and  glorify  his  Humanity,  and  that  the  passion  of  the 
cross  was  the  last  combat,  by  whicli  he  fully  conquered  the 
hells,  and  fully  glorified  his  Humanity,  n.  12 — 14.  That  the 
Lord,  by  the  passion  of  the  cross,  did  not  take  away  sins,  but 
that  he  bore  them.,  n.  15 — 17.  That  the  imputation  of  the 
Lord's  merit  is  nothing  else  but  the  remission  of  sins  after  re- 
pentance, n.  18.  That  the  Lord,  as  to  his  Divine  Humanity,  is 
called  the  Son  of  God,  and,  as  to  the  Word,  he  is  called  the 
Son  of  Man,  n.  19 — ^28.  That  the  Lord  made  his  Humanity 
Divine  from  the  Divinity  in  himself;  and  that  thus  he  became 
one  with  the  Father,  n.  29 — 36.  That  the  Lord  is  God  himself, 
from  whom  the  Word  is  derived,  and  concerning  whom  it 
treats,  n.  37 — 44.  That  there  is  one  God,  and  that  the  Lord  is 
that  God,  n.  45.  That  the  Holy  Spirit  is  the  Divinity  proceed- 
ing from  the  Lord,  and  that  it  is  the  Lord  himself,  n,  46 — •54. 
That  the  doctrine  of  the  Athanasian  faith  agrees  with  the  truth, 
if  only  by  a  trinity  of  persons  is  understood  a  trinity  of  person, 
which  is  in  the  Lord,  n.  55 — 61. 

The  reason  why  it  is  said  that  seven  thunders  uttered  their 
voices,  is,  because  what  the  Lord  speaks,  as  it  descends  through 
the  heavens  into  the  lower  spheres,  is  heard  as  thunder ;  and  as 
lie  speaks  through  the  whole  heaven  at  once,  and  thus  fully, 
they  are  called  seven  thunders,  for  by  seven  are  signified  all,  all 
things,  and  the  whole,  n.  10,  391  ;  therefore  also  by  thunder  is 
signified  instruction  and  the  perception  of  truth,  n.  236  ;  in  this 
instance,  the  revealing  and  manifestation  thereof  likewise.  That 
a  voice  from  heaven  is  heard  as  thunder,  when  it  proceeds  from 
the  Lord,  is  evident  from  these  passages  :  Jesus  said,  "  Eather, 
S56 


V,  3,  4.]  TFTE   AP0CALTP8E   REVEALED.  473 

glorify  thy  name.  Tlien  came  there  a  voice  from  heaven,  say- 
ing, I  have  both  glorified  it,  and  will  glorify  it  again  ;"  the  mnl- 
titude  heard  this  as  thu7}dei\  John  xii.  28 — 30.  God  ronrcth 
with  his  voice,  "he  thunderQth  with  a  voice  of  his  excellency," 
Job  xxxvii.  4,  5  "Jehovah  tJauidered  from  heaven,  and  the 
Most  High  nttered  liis  voice,"  2  Sam.  xxii.  14.  "  I  heard  a 
voice  from  heaven  as  the  voice  of  great  thunder,^^  Apoc.  xiv.  2. 
Thou  didst  call  npon  me,  "  and  I  answered  thee  in  the  secret 
place  of  thunder^^''  Psalm  Ixxxi.  7. 

473.  Ajid  toheti  the  seven  thunders  had  uttered  their  voices.,  1 
was  about  to  write :  And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  saying  unto 
me..  Seal  up  those  things  which  the  seven  thunders  uttered.,  and 
write  them  not.,  signified  that  these  things  indeed  are  made  mani- 
fest, but  that  they  will  not  be  received  till  after  they  who  are 
meant  by  the  dragon,  the  beast,  and  the  false  prophet,  are  cast 
out  of  the  world  of  s])irits,  because  there  would  be  danger  were 
they  to  be  received  before.  The  voices  which  the  seven  thunders 
uttered,  are  the  things  just  mentioned  above,  n.  472,  which  are 
three  times  mentioned,  because  they  contain  the  very  essentials 
of  the  New  Church,  By  writing,  in  the  natural  sense,  is  signi- 
fied to  commit  to  paper,  and  thus  to  record  any  thing  for  the 
information  of  posterity,  but,  in  the  spiritual  sense,  by  writing 
is  signified  to  commit  to  the  heart  for  reception  ;  hence  by  seal- 
ing them  up  and  not  writing  them,  is  signified  that  they  will 
not  be  committed  to  the  heart  and  received,  till  after  the  dragon, 
the  beast,  and  the  false  prophet,  are  cast  out  of  the  world  of 
spirits,  because  there  would  be  danger  if  they  were  received 
before:  the  reason  is,  because  by  the  dragon,  the  beast,  and  the 
false  prophet,  are  signified  they  who  are  in  faith  separated  from 
charity,  and  these  constantly  and  tenaciously  adhere  to  their 
belief,  that  God  the  Father  is  to  be  approached,  and  not  the 
Lord  immediately,  and  that  the  Lord  is  not  the  God  of  heaven 
and  earth  as  to  his  Humanity;  therefore  if  the  above-mentioned 
doctrine,  n.  472,  which  has  been  and  still  is  made  manifest,  as 
is  signified  by  the  little  hook  being  opened,  were  to  be  received 
by  any  others  than  such  as  are  in  charity  and  its  faith,  who  also 
are  those  who  are  signified  by  John,  n.  5, 17,  before  the  dragon 
is  cast  out,  it  would  be  rejected  not  only  by  them,  but,  through 
their  means,  by  the  rest ;  and  if  not  rejected,  still  it  would  be 
falsified,  yea,  profaned.  That  this  is  the  case,  evidently  appears 
from  what  now  follows  in  the  Apocalypse,  when  seen  m  its 
proj^er  series,  as,  that  they  slew  the  Lord's  two  Avitnesses,  chap. 
xi. ;  that  the  dragon  stood  by  the  woman  \vlio  was  about  to  be 
delivered,  that  he  might  devour  her  child  ;  and  that  after  he 
had  fought  with  Michael  he  persecuted  the  woman,  chap.  xii. ; 
and  that  the  two  beasts  which  came  up,  one  out  of  the  sea,  and 
the  other  out  of  the  earth,  acted  in  conjunction  with  him,  chap. 
xiii. ;  as  also  that  he  gathered  together  his  followers  to  battle 
8.'>7 


474  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  [Chap.  X, 

at  the  place  called  Armageddon,  chap.  xvi. ;  and,  finally,  that 
they  assembled  the  nations,  Gog  and  Magog,  to  battle,  chap. 
XX.  8,  9.  But  that  the  dragon,  the  beast,  and  the  false  pro- 
phet, were  cast  into  the  lake  of  lire  and  brimstone,  chap.  xx. 
10 ;  and  this  being  effected,  the  New  Church,  which  is  to  be 
the  Lamb's  wife,  came  down  out  of  heaven,  chap,  xxi.,  xxii. 
Such  is  the  signification  of  these  words,  "  Seal  up  those  things 
which  the  seven  thunders  nttered,  and  write  them  not ;"  and 
also  of  the  following  in  this  chapter:  "  In  the  days  of  the  voice 
of  the  seventh  angel  the  mystery  of  God  will  be  finished,  as  he 
hath  declared  to  his  servants  the  prophets,"  verse  7 ;  and  hy 
these  words  in  the  next  chapter :  "  And  the  seventh  angel 
sounded,  and  there  were  great  voices  in  heaven,  saying.  The 
kingdoms  of  this  world  are  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord 
and  of  his  Christ,"  verse  15  ;  and  likewise  by  many  things  to 
the  same  effect  in  the  subsequent  chapters.  Something  may  be 
seen  on  this  sul^ject  in  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  con- 
oerning  the  Lord^  n.  61. 

474.  And  the  angel  whom  I  saw  standing  upon  the  sea  and 
upon  the  earth  lifted  up  his  hand  to  heaven^  and  sware  hy  him 
that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever,  signifies  the  attestation  and  testi- 
fication of  the  Lord  by  himself.  By  the  angel  who  stood  upon 
the  sea  and  upon  the  earth  is  understood  the  Lord,  n.  470;  by 
lifting  his  hand  up  to  heaven  is  signified  this  attestation,  that 
there  should  be  time  no  longer,  verse  6  ;  by  swearing  is  sig- 
nified this  testification,  that  in  the  days  of  the  voice  of  the 
seventh  angel  the  mystery  of  God  should  be  consummated, 
verse  7 ;  by  him  that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever  is  meant  the 
Lord  himself,  as  above,  chap.  i.  18;  iv,  9,  10;  v.  14;  Dan.  iv. 
31.  That  the  Lord  testifies  by  himself  will  be  seen  presently. 
From  what  has  been  said,  it  is  evident,  that  by  these  words, 
"  and  the  angel  whom  I  saw  standing  upon  the  sea  and  upon 
the  earth,  lifted  up  his  hand  to  heaven,  and  sware  by  him  that 
liveth  for  ever  and  ever,"  is  signified  the  attestation  and  testi- 
fication of  the  Lord  by  himself.  That  Jehovah  swears,  or 
testifies,  by  himself,  is  evident  from  these  passages:  "Z  have 
sworn  hy  myself  ,  the  word  is  gone  out  of  my  mouth — and  shall 
not  return,"  Isaiah  xlv.  23.  '•''I  have  sworn  hy  myself,  that  this 
house  shall  become  a  desolation,"  Jerem.  xxii.  5.  Jehovah  hath 
sworn  hy  his  soul,  Jerem.  li.  14 ;  Amos  vi.  8.  Jehovah  hath 
sworn  hy  his  holiness,  Amos  iv.  2.  '•'-Jehovah  hath  sworn  hy  his 
right  hand,  and  by  the  arm  of  his  strength,"  Isaiah  Ixii.  8. 
"  Behold,  /  have  sworn  hy  my  great  name,^''  Jerem.  xliv.  26. 
Jehovah,  that  is,  the  Lord,  swearing  by  himself,  signifies  that 
divine  truth  testifies,  for  he  is  divine  truth  itself,  and  this  tes- 
tifies from  itself  and  by  itself.  Besides  which,  that  Jehovah 
swears  may  also  be  seen  in  Isaiah  xiv.  24;  liv.  9 ;  Psalm  Ixxxix. 
3,  35;  Psalm  xcv.  11;  Psalm  ex.  4;  Psalm  cxxx.  11.  Jehovah 
358 


V.  4 6.]         THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  475,  47G 

is  said  to  swear,  because  the  church  instituted  among  the  sous 
of  Israel  was  a  representative  church,  and  the  Lord's  conjunc- 
tion with  tlie  chui'ch  was  thence  represented  by  a  covenant, 
Buch  as  takes  })hice  between  two  who  swear  to  their  compact ; 
therefore,  as  swearino^  was  used  for  the  purpose  of  ratifying  a 
covenant  or  compact,  it  is  said  that  Jehovah  sAvare ;  by  which, 
nevertheless,  it  is  not  meant  that  he  really  did  swear,  but  that 
divine  truth  testifies  or  bears  testimony  to  the  things  asserted. 
That  an  oath  was  used  to  ratify  covenants,  appears  irom  these 
passages:  "///aiv  swoi'n  unto  thee,  and  entered  into  a  covenant, 
and  t1iou  becamest  mine,"  Ezek.  xvi.  8.  "To  remember  his 
lioly  covenant,  the  oath  ichich  he  sware^'*  Liike  i.  72,  73;  Psalm 
cv.  9 ;  Jerem.  xi.  5  ;  xxxii.  22 ;  Deut.  i.  35  ;  x.  11  ;  xi.  9,  21 ; 
xxvi.  3, 15;  xxxi.  20;  xxxiv.  4.  As  a  covenant  was  representa- 
tive of  the  conjunction  of  the  Lord  with  the  church,  and,  reci- 
procally, of  the  church  with  the  Lord ;  and  as  the  oath  had 
relation  to  the  covenant,  and  man  was  to  swear  from  the  truth 
therein,  thus  also  by  it,  therefore  the  children  of  Israel  were 
permitted  to  swear  by  Jehovah,  and  thus  by  divine  truth,  Exod. 
XX.  7 ;  Levit.  xix.  12 ;  Deut.  vi.  13  ;  x.  20  ;  Isaiah  xlviii.  1 ; 
Ixv.  16  ;  Jerem.  iv.  2  ;  Zech.  v.  4 ;  but  after  the  representative 
rites  of  the  church  wxre  abolished,  oaths  as  used  in  covenants 
were  abolished  also  by  the  Lord,  Matt.  v.  23 — 37 ;  xxiii. 
16—22. 

475.  Who  created  heaven^  and  the  things  that  therein  are^  a/na 
the  earthy  and  the  things  that  therein  are,  and  the  sea,  and  the 
things  that  are  therein,  signifies  who  vivifies  all  that  are  in  hea- 
ven and  that  are  in  the  church,  and  all  and  every  thing  in  gene- 
ral and  in  particular  appertaining  to  them.  By  creating,  in  the 
natural  sense,  is  signified  to  create ;  but,  in  the  spiritual  sense, 
by  creating  is  signified  to  reform  and  regenerate,  n.  254,  290 ; 
which  is  also  to  vivify  or  make  alive.  By  heaven  is  meant  hea- 
ven where  are  the  angels  ;  by  the  earth  and  the  sea  is  signified 
the  church  ;  by  the  earth,  they  who  are  in  its  internals  ;  and  by 
the  sea,  they  who  are  in  its  externals,  n.  398,  470.  By  tlie 
things  that  are  therein,  are  signified  all  and  singular  the  things 
appertaining  to  them. 

476.  That  there  should  he  time  no  longer,  signifies  that  there 
cannot  be  an}"-  state  of  the  church,  or  any  church,  except  one 
God  be  acknowledged,  aTid  that  the  Lord  is  that  God.  By  time 
is  signified  state ;  and,  because  the  church  is  here  treated  of, 
the  state  of  the  church  is  signified.  Therefore  there  shall  be 
time  no  longer,  signifies  that  there  will  not  be  any  state  of  the 
church.  That  it  also  means  that  there  is  not  any  church,  ex- 
cept one  God  be  acknowledged,  and  tliat  the  Lord  is  he,  follows 
as  a  consequence.  But  what  is  the  case  at  this  day  ?  That 
there  is  one  God  is  not  denied,  but  that  the  Lord  is  that  God 

359 


4:"77  THE  APOCAiTPSE  KEVEALED.         [Chap.  X. 

is  denied ;  and  yet  there  is  not  one  God,  in  whom  is  a  trinity 
at  the  same  time,  but  the  Lord :  that  the  church  exists  from 
him,  who  is  the  Savioui  and  Redeemer,  is  not  denied ;  but  that 
he,  as  the  Saviour  and  Redeemer,  ought  to  be  aj^proached  ini 
mediately,  is  denied.  Hence  it  is  evident,  that  a  church  would 
perish,  did  not  a  new  one  come  into  existence,  which  acknow- 
ledges the  Lord  alone  to  be  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth, 
and,  for  this  reason,  immediately  approaches  him,  see  Matt, 
xxviii.  18 ;  therefore  these  words,  there  shall  be  time  no  longer, 
that  is,  there  shall  be  no  church,  relate  to  what  follows  in  this 
chapter,  verse  7 ;  and  this  again,  to  what  is  written  in  chap,  xi., 
verse  15;  where  it  is  said  that  there  will  be  a  church  which 
will  originate  from  the  Lord  alone.  By  time  is  signified  state, 
because  in  the  spiritual  world  time  is  not  measured  by  days, 
weeks,  months,  and  years,  but  by  states,  which  are  progressions 
of  the  life  of  those  who  are  there,  from  which  they  remember 
things  past ;  on  which  subject  see  the  work  on  ITeaven  and  Hell^ 
n.  162 — 169,  where  time  in  heaven  is  treated  of.  The  reason 
why  the  state  of  the  church  is  here  meant  by  time,  is  because 
day  and  night,  morning  and  evening,  summer  and  winter,  con- 
stitute time  in  this  world,  and  when  understood  in  a  spiritual 
sense,  they  constitute  states  of  the  church ;  therefore  when 
these  states  no  longer  exist,  there  is  no  church ;  and  there  is 
then  no  church,  when  there  is  no  longer  any  good  and  truth, 
thus  when  the  light  of  truth  is  turned  into  thick  darkness,  and 
the  heat  of  good  into  cold ;  this  is  what  is  meant  by  there  not 
being  time  any  longer.  Similar  is  the  signification  of  the  fol- 
lowing passages  in  the  Word :  The  fourth  beast  will  think  to 
change  the  times^  Dan.  vii.  25.  "But  it  shall  be  one  <fay  which 
is  known  to  Jehovah,  not  day  nor  night,"  thus  there  would  be 
no  time,  Zech.  xiv,  10.  "  I  will  cause  the  sun  to  go  down  at 
noon,  and  I  will  darken  the  earth  in  the  clear  day^''  thus  again 
there  would  be  no  time,  Amos  viii.  9.  "  Behold,  one  evil  is 
come,  an  end  is  come,  the  end  is  come,  the  morning  is  come 
unto  thee,  O  thou  that  dwellest  in  the  land,  the  time  is  come," 
Ezek.  vii.  5 — T ;  the  morning  is  the  beginning  of  a  new  church, 
n.  151,  therefore  it  is  said,  the  time  is  come. 

477.  But  in  the  days  of  the  voice  of  the  seventh  angel,  when 
he  is  about  to  sound,  signifies  the  final  exploration  and  mani- 
festation of  the  state  of  the  church,  which  must  perish,  unless  a 
new  one  be  established  by  the  Lord.  That  by  sounding  a  trum- 
pet is  signified  to  explore  and  lay  open  the  state  of  life  of  those 
who  are  of  the  church,  consequently  the  state  of  the  church, 
may  be  seen  above,  n.  397 ;  and  as  seven  angels  sounded,  by 
the  voice  of  the  seventh  angel  is  signified  the  final  exploration 
and  manifestation,  by  which  it  appears  that  the  church  must 
perish,  unless  a  new  one  be  established  by  the  Lord ;  that  it 
360 


V.  6,  7.J  THE   APOCALYPSE   EE";  EALED.  478 

must  perish,  is  meant  by  there  being  time  no  longer,  n.  476  ; 
and  that  a  new  chnrch  is  to  be  established  by  the  Lord,  is 
meant  by  what  now  follows. 

478.  The  mystery  of  God  should  he  finished;  as  he  hath  de- 
clared to  his  servants  the  prophets^  signihes  that  then  it  will 
appear  that  it  is  foretold  in  the  Word  of  both  Testaments,  but 
has  hitherto  been  concealed,  that  after  the  last  judgment  is  exe- 
cuted upon  those  who  have  devastated  the  church,  the  Lord's 
kingdom  will  come.  By  being  linished  is  signified  to  be  ful- 
filled, to  come  to  an  end,  and  then  to  appear  again  ;  by  the 
mystery  of  God  declared  to  the  prophets,  is  signified  that  which 
is  foretold  by  the  Lord  in  the  Word,  and  hitiierto  concealed ; 
by  declaring  is  signified  to  announce  the  Lord's  advent,  and 
also  that  of  his  kingdom,  for  the  term  here  used  signifies  to 
declare  glad  tidings  \evangeliurii).  Tliat  this  will  come  to  pass, 
after  the  last  judgment  is  executed  upon  those  who  have  devas- 
tated the  church,  is  also  foretold  in  the  Word,  therefore  this 
also  is  signified  ;  from  Avhich  it  may  appear,  that  all  this  is  un- 
derstood by  these  words.  It  may  be  expedient  here  to  premise 
something  of  what  is  foretold  in  the  Word  of  both  Testaments, 
concerning  the  coming  of  the  Lord,  and  of  his  kingdom.  Li  the 
Word  of  the  Old  Testament,  which  is  called  prophetic,  in  the 
spiritual  sense,  and  also  where  this  shines  forth,  in  the  natural 
sense,  the  Lord  alone  is  treated  of,  that  is  to  say,  his  advent  in 
the  fulness  of  time  ;  which  is,  when  there  shall  no  longer  be  any 
good  of  charity  and  truth  of  faith  in  the  church,  which  state  of 
tlie  church  is  called  the  consummation,  devastation,  desolation, 
and  decision :  it  also  treats  of  his  combats  with  the  hells  and 
his  victories  over  them,  which  likewise  constitute  the  last  judg- 
ment executed  by  him  ;  and  afterwards  of  the  creation  of  a  new 
heaven,  and  the  establishment  of  a  new  church,  or  the  Lord's 
kingdom  that  is  to  come  ;  these  things  are  also  treated  of  in  the 
Word  of  the  New  Testament,  which  is  called  apostolic,  and  par- 
ticularly in  the  Apocalypse.  That  it  is  the  Lord's  kingdom,  the 
glad  tidings  of  which  will  be  declared  in  the  days  of  the  voice 
of  the  seventh  angel,  appears  plainly  from  this  passage  in  the 
next  or  eleventh  chapter :  "  And  the  seventh  angel  sounded, 
and  there  were  great  voices  in  heaven,  saying,  The  kingdoms 
of  this  world  are  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord  and  of  his 
Christ,  and  he  shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever :  And  the  four-and 
twenty  elders  fell  upon  their  faces,  and  worshi])ped  God,  saying, 
We  give  thee  thanks,  O  Lord  God  Almighty,  which  art,  and 
wast,  and  art  to  come,  because  thou  hast  taken  to  thee  thy  great 
]>ower,  and  hast  hegun  thy  reign^"*  verses  15 — 17.  This  mystery 
is  described  in  Daniel  almost  in  the  same  words  as  here  in  the 
Apocalypse  :  "  And  I  heard  the  num  clothed  in  linen,  when  ho 
hehl  up  his  right  hand  and  his  left  liand  unto  heaven,  and  swaro 
bv  him  that  liveth  for  ever,  that  i*  shall  be  foi  a  time,  times, 
361 


i7S  THE   APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Cliap.  X. 

and  a  lialf ;"  when  all  these  things  are  to  be  finished :  he  said, 
"  Go  thy  way,  Daniel :  for  the  words  are  closed  np  and  sealed 
till  the  thne  of  the  end,^'  Dan.  xii.  7,  9 ;  till  the  time  of  the 
end  means  till  this  time.  That  then  the  Son  of  Man  will  re- 
ceive the  kingdom,  he  foretells  in  these  words  :  "  I  saw  in  the 
night  visions,  and  behold,  one  like  the  Son  of  Man  came  with 
the  clouds  of  heaven  ;  and  there  was  given  to  him  dominion, 
and  glory,  and  a  kingdom,  that  all  people,  nations,  and  lan- 
guages, shoidd  serve  him :  his  dominion  is  an  everlasting  do- 
minion, which  shall  not  pass  away,  and  his  hingdom  that  which 
shall  not  be  destroyed,"  Dan.  vii.  13,  14.  That  to  declare  glad 
tidings  signifies  the  Lord's  advent,  and  then  his  kingdom,  is 
plain  from  these  passages  :  "  O  Zion,  that  hringest  glad  tidings^ 
get  thee  up  into  the  high  mountain  :  O  Jerusalem,  that  hringest 
glad  tidings^  lift  up  thy  voice  with  strength  ;  say  unto  the  cities 
of  Judah,  Behold  your  God  !  Behold,  the  Lord  Jehovah  Mall 
come  with  a  strong  hand,  and  his  arm  shall  rule  for  him,"  Isaiah 
xl.  9 — 11.  "  How  beautiful  upon  the  mountains  are  the  feet  of 
him  that  hringeth  glad  tidings,  that  publisheth  peace,  that 
hringeth  glad  tidings  of  good,  that  publisheth  salvation,  that 
saitli  unto  Zion,  Thy  God  reigneth,"  Isaiah  lii.  Y,  8  ;  ISTahum 
i.  15.  "  Sing  unto  Jehovah,  bless  in  his  name,  declare  the  glad 
tidings  of  his  salvation  from  day  to  day,  for  Jehovah  cometh," 
Psalm  xcvi.  2,  13.  "The  spirit  of  the  Lord  Jehovah  is  upon 
me,  because  Jehovah  hath  anointed  me  io  jpreach  glad  tidings 
unto  the  meek — -to  proclaim  liberty  to  the  captives — to  proclaim 
the  acceptable  year  of  Jehovah,"  Isaiah  Ixi.  1,  2.  The  angel 
said  unto  Zacharias,  Behold,  thy  wife  shall  bear  a  son,  who 
shall  go  before  the  Lord  God  in  the  spirit  and  power  of  Elias, 
and  to  prepare  a  people  for  the  Lord  :  "  I  am  Gabriel,  and  am 
sent  to  show  thee  these  glad  tidings,''^  Luke  i.  13,  17,  19.  The 
angel  said  to  the  shepherds,  "  Fear  not ;  behold,  I  bring  you 
glad  tidings  of  great  joy,  for  unto  you  is  born  in  the  city 
of  David  this  day  a  Saviour,  who  is  Christ  the  Lord,"  Luke 
ii.  10,  11.  The  Lord  preached  the  glad  tidings  of  the  king- 
dom of  God,  Matt.  iv.  23  ;  xi.  5  ;  Mark  i.  15 ;  Luke  vii.  22  ; 
viii.  1 ;  ix.  1,  2  ;  and  John  the  Baptist,  Luke  iii.  18.  Jesus  also 
commanded  his  disciples,  "  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and^rt^acA 
the  gospel  to  every  creature,"  Mark  xvi.  15.  This  also  is  the 
everlasting  gospel^^Vxoh  the  angel  flying  in  the  midst  of  heaven 
had  to  preach  unto  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  Apoc.  xiv.  6. 
It  is  said  that  the  mystery  of  God  will  be  consummated,  by 
which  is  meant,  that  now  will  be  fulfilled  that  which  before 
had  not  been  fulfilled,  that  is,  that  the  kingdom  will  be  the 
Lord's  ;  for  it  was  not  fulfilled  by  the  Jews,  becaust;  they  dia 
not  acknowledge  the  Lord ;  nor  by  the  Christians,  for  these 
have  not  acknowledged  the  Lord  to  be  the  God  of  heaven 
and  earth,  as  to  the  Humanity,  for  they  make  his  Humanity 
362 


r.  7 — 9.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         479 — 481 

like  that  of  anotlier  man,  wherefore  they  do  not  iirniediatcly 
jipproacli  him,  when  yet  he  is  Jehovah  who  came  into  the 
world. 

479.  Atid  the  voice  which  I  heard  froiii  heaven  spaTce  unto 
vie  again ^  and  said.  Go,  take  the  little  hook,  which  is  open  in 
the  hand  of  the  angel  who  is  standing  upon  the  sea  and  upon 
the  earth,  si,<2;nities  a  command  from  heaven,  tluit  they  shonld 
admit  that  tloctrine  concerning  the  Lord,  hut  that  it  shouhl  he 
made  manifest  by  John,  how  it  wouhl  be  received  in  tlie  church, 
l)efore  they  who  are  meant  by  the  dragon,  the  beast,  and  the 
false  prophet  are  removed.  By  the  voice  which  he  heard  from 
heaven  now  again  talking  with  him,  is  meant  the  voice  which 
told  him  to  seal  up  the  things  which  the  seven  thunders  uttered, 
and  not  to  write  tliem,  verse  4,  by  which  is  signihed  that  tlie 
doctrine  concerning  the  Lord  would  not  be  received  till  after 
they  who  are  meant  by  the  dragon,  the  beast,  and  the  false  pro- 
phet, should  be  cast  out  of  the  spiritual  world,  because  there 
would  be  danger  were  it  to  be  received  before,  as  may  be  seen 
above,  o.  473 ;  that  this  is  the  case,  is  now  made  manifest  by 
John,  ^y  his  eating  up  the  little  book,  as  presently  follows.  That 
by  the  little  book  is  meant  the  doctrine  concerning  the  Lord, 
may  be  seen,  n.  469, 472  ;  and  that  by  the  angel  who  stood  upon 
the  sea  and  upon  the  earth  is  understood  the  Lord,  n.  405,  470. 

480.  And  I  went  unto  the  angel,  and  said  unto  him.  Give 
me  the  little  hook,  signifies  a  motion  or  inclination  of  the  mind, 
with  many  in  the  church,  to  receive  the  doctrine.  This  is  sig- 
nified, because  by  John  is  here  manifested  the  way  in  whicli 
the  doctrine  concerning  the  Lord  is  received  by  many  in  the 
church,  as  just  observed;  a  motion  or  inclination  of  the  mind 
with  these  to  receive  this  doctrine  is  meant,  because  an  incli- 
nation was  apparent  in  John,  in  that  he  went  and  asked  for  it. 
As  these  things  involve  such  a  meaning,  therefore  John  was 
first  told  to  take  the  little  book ;  he  then  went  and  asked  for  it; 
then  the  angel  said  that  he  would  give  it  him,  but  that  it  would 
make  his  belly  bitter;  and,  lastly,  it  is  said  that  it  was  given 
him,  and  that  it  so  came  to  pass  ;  all  these  circumstances  being 
significative. 

481.  And  he  said  unto  me,  Take  it,  and  eat  it  up  /  and  it 
shall  make  thy  helly  hitter,  but  it  shall  he  in  thy  mouth  sweet  as 
honey,  signifies  that  recej^tion  from  acknowledgment  that  the 
Lord  is  the  Saviour  andKedeemer,  is  grateful  and  j^leasing,  but 
that  the  acknowledgment  that  he  alone  is  the  God  of  heaven 
and  earth,  and  that  his  Humanity  is  Divine,  is  unpleasing  and 
difficult  to  receive  by  reason  of  fiilsifications.  By  taking  the 
little  book,  is  signified  to  receive  the  doctrine  concerning  the 
Lord  ;  by  eating  it  up,  is  signified  to  acknowledge  it ;  by  making 
the  belly  bitter,  is  signified  that  it  will  be  unpleasant  and  difii- 
cult  by  reason  of  falsifications,  for  bitter  signifies  truth  falsified, 

3'63 


482,  483  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         [Chap.  X. 

n.  411 ;  by  being  in  the  mouth  sweet  as  honey,  is  signified  that 
the  reception  of  it  at  first  is  grateful  and  pleasant.  These  things 
that  are  now  aj^plied  to  the  doctrine,  which  is  meant  by  the 
little  book  that  was  open  in  the  hand  of  the  angel,  n.  409,  472, 
signify  that  reception  from  acknowledgment  that  the  Lord  is 
the  Saviour  and  Redeemer,  is  grateful  and  pleasing ;  but  that 
the  acknowledgment  that  he  alone  is  the- God  of  neaven  and 
earth,  and  that  his  Humanity  is  Divine,  is  unpleasing  and  diffi- 
cult by  reason  of  falsifications.  The  falsifications,  by  which  that 
doctrine  is  rendered  disagreeable  and  difficult  of  reception,  con- 
sist principally  in  not  acknowledging  the  Lord  to  be  one  with 
the  Father,  although  he  himself  so  taught ;  and  in  not  acknow- 
ledging his  Humanity  to  be  Divine,  M'hich,  nevertheless,  is  the 
Son  of  God,  Luke  i.  35  ;  and  thus  it  may  be  said,  that  they 
have  made  God  three,  and  the  Lord  two ;  not  to  mention  the 
falses  continued  from  them  :  from  these  falses  flows  the  doctrine 
of  faith  alone,  and  faith  alone  afterwards  confirms  those  falses. 
That  in  consequence  of  these  falses,  so  great  a  bitterness  and 
repugnance  exists,  that  they  cannot,  after  death,  even  name  the 
Divine  Humanity  from  any  acknowledgment  in  thought,  may 
be  seen  above,  n.  294. 

482.  And  I tooh  the  little  hook  out  of  tlieangeV-s  hand,  and 
ate  it  up  :  and  it  was  in  my  mouth  sweet  as  honey,  and  when 
I  had  eaten  it  my  helly  was  hitter',  signifies  that  so  it  came  to 
pass,  and  was  thus  manifested  what  reception  that  doctrine 
would  meet  with,  before  they  who  are  meant  by  the  dragon,  the 
beast,  and  the  false  prophet,  were  removed.  As  this  is  a  neces- 
sary consequence  of  what  was  said  above,  it  needs  no  further 
explanation.  It  is  written  that  the  prophet  Ezekiel  was  also 
commanded  to  eat  the  volume  of  the  book,  and  that  in  his 
mouth  it  was  sioeet  as  honey,  Ezek.  ii.  8 — 10 ;  iii.  1 — 4. 

483.  And  he  said  unto  me.  Thou  must projjhesy  again  hefore 
7nany  peoples,  and  nations,  and  tongues,  and  many  kings,  sig- 
nifies that  this  is  the  case,  because  the  quality  of  those  who  are 
principled  in  faith  alone  must  be  further  shown.  That  this  is 
signified,  appears  from  what  follows,  down  to  chap,  xvii.,  which 
treats  of  those  who  are  in  faith  alone ;  and  afterwards  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  religion,  and  then  of  the  expulsion  o^  the 
dragon,  the  beast,  and  the  false  prophet,  into  hell,  and  thus 
concerning  the  New  Church,  in  which  the  Lord  alone  will  be 
worshipped.  To  prophesy  signifies  to  teach,  n.  8, 133,  therefore 
to  prophesy  again  signifies  to  teach  further;  by  peoples  are  sig- 
nified those  who  are  in  the  truths  or  falses  of  doctrine ;  and  by 
nations,  those  who  are  in  the  good  or  evil  of  life,  as  will  be  seen 
presently  ;  by  tongues  are  signified  those  who  are  exteriorly  in 
such  things,  n.  282 ;  and  by  kings  are  signified  those  who  are 
interiorly  in  them  ;  for  by  kings  are  signified  those  who  are  in 
trutlis  derived  from  good  ;  and,  in  the  opposite  sense,  those  whc 

364 


V.  9 IJ.]         THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  483 

are  in  folses  derived  from  evil,  and,  abstractedly,  trutiis  from 
good  or  falses  from  evil,  as  may  be  seen,  n.  20,  664,  704,  720, 
830,  921  ;  and  since  they  wlio  are  principled  in  interior  falses 
are  specifically  treated  of  in  what  follows,  it  is  said,  "  and  many 
kings,"  by  which  are  signified  falses  of  evil  in  great  abnndance. 
Peoples,  nations,  tongnes,  and  kings,  are  mentioned  for  the 
sake  of  comprehending  all  who  are  such  in  the  church.  John 
being  told  that  he  must  prophesy  again,  signifies  that  it  is  ne- 
cessary to  teach  further  what  is  the  quality  of  those  who  are 
in  faith  alone,  to  the  end  that  their  falses  may  be  detected,  and 
thus  abolished  ;  inasmuch  as  iio  falsity  is  ever  abolished  before 
it  is  detected.  That  peoples  signify  those  who  are  in  truths  or 
falses  of  doctrine,  and  nations,  those  who  are  in  good  or  evil  of 
life,  may  appear  from  many  passages  in  the  Word,  where  peo- 
ples and  nations  are  mentioned  ;  but  in  confirmation  of  this, 
only  those  passages  shall  be  here  adduced,  where  peoples  and 
nations  occur  together,  from  which  this  inference  may  be  drawn, 
seeing  that  in  the  Word  throughout,  both  genei-ally  and  partic- 
ularly, there  is  a  marriage  of  the  Lord  and  the  church,  and 
thence  a  marriage  of  good  and  truth  ;  and  jjeoples  relate  to 
truth,  and  nations  to  good.  That  there  is  such  a  marriage  in 
all  and  every  particular  of  the  "Word,  may  be  seen  in  The  Doc- 
trine of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Sacred  Scripture,  n. 
80 — 90.  The  passages  in  the  Word  are  as  follow  :  "  Ah  sinful 
7iatio7i,  a  people  lademoith  iniquity, ^^  Isaiah  i.  4.  "I  will  send 
him  against  a  hypocritical  nation,  and  against  i\\Q  people  of  my 
wrath,"  Isaiah  x.  6.  Jehovah  smote  the  peoples  in  wrath,  he 
ruled  the  nations  in  anger,  Isaiah  xiv.  6.  "  Go  to  a  nation 
scattered  and  peeled — to  d^people  terrible  from  their  beginning," 
Isa.  xviii.  2.  "  Therefore  shall  the  strong  people  glorify  thee, 
the  city  of  the  terrible  nations  shall  fear  thee,"  Isaiah  xxv.  3. 
Jehovah  will  destroy  the  covering  which  is  cast  over  ^peoples, 
and  the  vail  that  is  spread  over  all  nations,  Isaiah  xxv.  7,  8. 
"  Come  near,  ye  nations,  and  hear,  yQ  people,^''  Isaiah  xxxiv.  1. 
"I  will  give  thee  for  a  covenant  to  \\\ii  peoples,  and  a  light  to 
the  nations,^''  Isaiah  xlii.  6.  "Behold,  I  will  lift  up  my  hand 
to  the  nations,  and  set  up  my  standard  to  the  peoples,^''  Isaiah 
xlix.  22.  "  Let  all  the  nations  be  gathered  together,  and  let 
the  p)eoples  be  assembled,"  Isaiah  xliii.  9.  "Behold,  I  have 
given  him  for  a  Avitness  to  \\\q,  peoples,  a  leader  and  comnumder 
to  the  nations^''  Isaiah  Iv.  4,  5.""  "  Behold,  a  people  cometli 
from  the  north  country,  and  a  great  nation  from  the  sides  of  the 
earth,"  Jerem.  vi.  22,  23.  "  Many  peoples  shall  come,  and 
strong  nations  to  seek  Jehovah  of  Hosts  in  Jerusalem,"  Zech. 
viii.  22.  "  Jehovah  bringeth  the  counsel  of  the  nations  to 
nought,  he  maketh  the  devices  of  the  peoples  of  none  eff'ect," 
Psalm  xxxiii.  10,  "  Jehovah  shall  subdue  the  j';^o/>Z<?6'  under 
us,  and  the  nations  under  our  feet ;  Jehovah  reigneth  over  the 
365 


i84  THE   APOCALYPSE   KEVEALED.  [CllRf .  X 

nations^  the  princes  of  ihe peoples  are  gathered  together,"  Psahn 
xlvii.  8,  9.  "  Let  the  peoples  praise  thee,  let  the  nations  be 
glad,  for  thou  shalt  jnclge  the  peoples  righteously,  and  govern 
the  nations  upon  earth,"  Psalm  Ixvii.  3 — 5.     "  Remember  me, 

0  Jehovah,  with  the  favour  of  ^kvj people^  that  I  may  rejoice  in 
gladness  of  thy  nations^  Psalm  cvi,  4,  5.  All  the  peojjles^  na- 
tions^ and  tongues  of  the  Son  of  Man  shall  worship,  Dan.  vii. 
14.     Besides  other  places ;  as  in  Psalm  xviii.  43 ;  Isaiah  ix.  2, 

8  ;  xi.  10  ;  Ezek.  xxxvi.  15  ;  Joel  ii.  17 ;  Zeph.  ii.  9  ;  Apoc.  v. 

9  •  Lnke  ii.  30—32. 

484.  To  the  above  I  will  add  three  Memorable  Relations  of 
what  took  place  in  the  spiritual  world.    The  first  was  as  follows. 

1  once  heard  a  noise  like  the  grinding  of  a  mill ;  it  was  in  the 
northern  quarter.  At  first  I  w^ondered  what  it  could  mean,  till 
I  recollected  that  by  am  ill  and  by  grinding,  in  the  Word,  is 
meant  to  collect  from  the  Word  what  is  serviceable  to  doctrine, 
n.  794.  I  advanced,  therefore,  towards  the  place  from  whence 
the  noise  came,  and  as  I  approached,  the  noise  ceased  :  then  I 
observed  something  like  a  roof  above  ground,  the  entrance  to 
which  was  through  a  cave  ;  on  seeing  which,  I  descended  and 
entered ;  and  lo,  there  was  an  apartment,  in  which  I  saw  an 
aged  person  sitting,  surrounded  with  books,  with  tlie  Word  be- 
fore him,  in  which  he  was  searching  for  what  might  be  service- 
able to  his  doctrine.  There  were  papers  lying  about  him,  on 
which  he  wrote  such  passages  as  suited  his  purpose.  And,  in 
the  next  room,  were  a  number  of  scribes,  who  collected  the 
papers,  and  copied  out  their  contents  on  a  whole  sheet.  I  in- 
quired first,  concerning  the  books  which  lay  about  him ;  he 
said,  that  they  all  treated  of  justifying  faith  :  "  Those  from  Swe- 
den and  Denmark,"  says  he,  "enter  deeply  into  the  subject; 
those  from  Germany  somewhat  deeper ;  those  from  England 
deeper  still ;  and  those  from  Holland  the  deepest  of  all ;"  he 
added  withal,  that  notwithstanding  the  difference  of  their  sen- 
timents on  other  points,  yet  in  the  articles  of  justification  and 
salvation  by  faith  alone,  they  were  all  agreed.  He  then  told 
me,  that  at  that  time  he  Avas  collecting  from  the  Word  this 
chief  article  of  justifying  faith,  viz.,  that  God  the  Father  fell 
away  from  grace  towards  mankind,  by  reason  of  their  iniquit'es ; 
and  that,  consequently,  in  order  to  effect  their  salvation,  it  was 
become  indispensably  necessary,  that  satisfiiction,  reconciliation, 
propitiation,  and  mediation,  should  be  made  by  some  person, 
who  would  take  upon  himself  the  sentence  of  wrath  and  justice, 
and  that  none  could  be  found  qualified  for  this  purpose,  but  his 
only  Son  ;  and  that  when  this  purpose  was  effected,  access  was 
opened  to  God  the  Father,  for  his  sake.  He  said,  "  I  now  see, 
and  have  long  seen,  that  this  is  consistent  with  reason  ;  for  how 
could  God  the  Father  be  approached,  but  by  faith  in  the  merit 

366 


Chap.  X.]         THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEilED-  484 

of  his  Son?  and  now  I  have  also  found,  that  it  is  likewise  con 
Bistent  with  Scripture."  When  I  heard  this,  I  Avas  amazed  at 
his  saying  that  it  was  consistent  with  reason  and  Scripture, 
when  3-et  it  is  contrary  to  both,  as  I  plainly  told  him.  He, 
then,  in  the  heat  of  his  zeal,  replied,  "  How  can  you  talk  in 
this  manner?"  Wherefore  I  began  to  explain  myself,  by  say 
ing,  "  Is  it  not  contrary  to  reason  to  conceive,  that  God  ever 
fell  away  from  grace  towards  mankind,  and  entirely  cast  them 
oft"?  is  not  divine  grace  an  attribute  of  the  divine  essence? 
Whei'efore,  to  full  away  from  grace  would  be  to  lull  away  from 
his  divine  essence ;  and  to  fall  away  from  his  divine  essence 
would  be  to  be  no  longer  God:  for  how  can  God  be  alienated 
from  himself?  Believe  me,  that  grace  on  God's  part,  as  it  is 
infinite,  so  also  is  it  eternal ;  it  may  indeed  be  lost  on  the  part 
of  man,  if  he  will  not  receive  it,  but  never  on  the  part  of  God. 
If  grace  were  to  depart  from  God,  there  would  be  an  end  of  the 
universal  heaven  and  the  whole  race  of  mankind,  insomuch  that 
man  would  no  longer  be  man  in  any  respect  M'hatever;  where- 
fore, grace  on  God's  part  abides  to  all  eternity,  not  only  to- 
wards angels  and  men,  but  even  towards  the  devil  himself. 
Since  this  then  is  agreeable  to  reason,  why  do  you  assert,  that 
the  only  access  to  God  the  Father  is  by  faith  in  the  merit  of  his 
Son,  when  yet  there  is  perpetual  access  by  grace  ?  And  why 
do  you  call  it  access  to  God  the  Father  for  the  sake  of  his  Son, 
and  not  access  by  his  Son?  Is  not  the  Son  the  Mediator  and 
Saviour?  Why  then  do  you  not  approach  him  as  your  Medi- 
ator and  Saviour?  Is  he  not  God  and  Man?  Who  on  earth 
approaches  immediately  any  emperor,  king,  or  prince,  without 
having  some  person  to  introduce  him?  And  did  you  never 
learn,  that  the  Lord  came  into  the  world  that  he  himself  might 
introduce  us  to  the  Father?  and  that  there  is  no  possible  access 
but  by  him?  Search  now  tlie  Scriptures,  and  you  will  there 
see  that  what  I  tell  you  is  agreeable  to  them,  and  that  the  way 
which  you  talk  of  to  the  Father,  is  as  contrary  to  Scripture  as 
it  is  to  reason.  I  assert,  moreover,  that  it  is  great  presumption 
to  climb  up  to  God  the  Father,  and  not  by  him  who  is  in  the 
bosom  of  the  Father,  and  is  alone  with  him.  Did  you  never 
read  John  xiv.  G?"  As  I  uttered  these  words,  the  old  man  was 
80  much  exasperated,  that  he  sprang  from  his  chair,  and  called 
to  his  scribes  to  turn  me  out  of  the  house  ;  and  as  I  walked  out 
of  my  own  accord,  he  threw  after  me  out  of  doors  the  first  book 
that  he  could  lay  his  hands  on,  which  book  happened  to  be  the 
Word. 

The  second  Memorable  Relation.      After  I  had  retired,  I 
heard  a  noise  again  like  the  collision  of  two  mill  stones  against 
each  other;  but  as  I  approached  towards  the  place  from  whence 
367 


IS4  THE   APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Cliap.  X, 

it  came,  it  ceased,  and  I  saw  a  narrow  gate  leading  obliquely 
downwards  to  a  certain  vaulted  house,  w^iicli  was  divided  into 
small  cells,  in  each  of  which  sat  two  persons  collecting  passages 
from  the  Word  in  favour  of  faith  alone;  one  collected,  and  the 
other  transcribed,  and  this  they  did  alternately.  I  went  to- 
wards one  of  the  cells,  and  stood  at  the.  door,  and  asked  what 
they  were  collecting  and  writing ;  they  said,  "  Concerning  the  act 
of  justification,  or  concerning  faith  in  act,  which  is  the  real  jus- 
tifying, vivifying,  and  saving  feith,  and  the  chief  doctrine  of  all 
in  Cliristendora."  Then  I  said,  "Tell  me  some  mark  or  sign 
of  that  act,  when  that  faith  is  introduced  into  the  heart  and 
soul  of  man."  They  replied,  "The  sign  of  that  act  is  momen- 
tary, or  instantaneous,  when  a  man,  under  the  anguish  of  con- 
demnation for  sin,  thinks  of  Christ,  as  having  taken  away  the 
condemnation  of  the  law,  and  la^^s  hold  of  this  his  merit  with 
confidence,  and,  keeping  it  in  his  thoughts,  approaches  and 
prays  to  God  the  Father."  Then  I  said,  "  Suppose  it  to  be  so, 
and  that  this  act  is  instantaneous;  yet  how  am  I  to  conceive 
what  is  asserted  of  this  act,  that  man  contributes  nothing  to- 
wards it,  any  more  than  if  he  were  a  stock  or  a  stone,  and  that 
he  has  no  power  to  begin,  will,  understand,  think,  operate,  co- 
operate, apply,  and  accommodate  himself  to  this  act?  Tell 
me,  how  does  this  agree  with  what  you  said,  that  the  act  takes 
place  when  man  is  thinking  about  the  justice  of  tlie  law,  and 
about  the  removal  of  its  condemnation  by  Christ,  in  consequence 
of  which  he  lays  hold  with  confidence  of  his  merit,  and  ap- 
proaches and  prays  to  God  the  Father  with  this  in  his  tlioughts? 
Are  not  all  these  things  done  by  man  as  from  himself?"  They 
answered,  "Kot  by  man  actively,  but  passively."  I  replied, 
"  How  can  any  one  think,  have  confidence,  and  pray,  passively? 
If  you  take  away  man's  activity  or  re-activity,  do  you  not  also 
take  away  his  capacity  of  reception,  consequently  all  that  be- 
longs to  him  as  man,  and  with  it  the  act  itself?  And  what  does 
the  act  become  in  this  case,  but  something  purely  ideal,  or  a 
mere  creature  of  the  imagination  ?  I  trust  you  do  not  believe 
with  some,  that  such  an  act  takes  place  only  among  tlie  predes- 
tinate, who  yet  are  utterly  unconscious  of  any  infusion  of  faith 
into  themselves;  and  who  might  throw  a  cast  of  dice,  in  order 
to  ascertain  whether  it  be  infused  into  them  or  no  ;  wherefore, 
do  you,  my  friends,  believe,  that  man,  in  matters  of  faith,  op- 
erates and  co-operates  as  from  himself,  and  that  witliout  such 
co-operation,  your  act  of  faith,  which  you  call  the  chief  doc- 
trine of  religion,  is  but  a  mere  pillar  or  statue,  like  Lot's  wife, 
tinkling  like  dry  salt  when  scratched  by  a  scribe's  pen  or  fin- 
ger-nail, Luke  xvii.  32.  I  use  this  comparison,  because  as  to 
that  act,  you  make  yourselves  as  mere  statues."  As  I  spake 
these  words,  one  of  them  took  up  a  candlestick,  with  intent  to 
368 


Chap.  X.J  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  484 

throw  it  in  my  face,  but  the  candle  suddenly  going  out,  and  it 
becoming  dark  in  consequence,  lie  threw  it  against  the  forehead 
of  his  own  companion  ;  at  which  I  smiled  and  departed. 

The  third  Memorable  Relation.  In  the  northern  quarter 
of  the  spiritual  world,  hearing  as  it  were  the  roaring  of  waters, 
I  walked  towards  it,  and  as  I  approached,  the  roaring  ceased, 
and  I  heard  a  buzzing  noise  like  tiie  distant  voices  of  a  multi- 
tude gathered  together,  and  then  there  appeared  a  building  fuli 
of  chinks  and  clefts,  encompassed  with  a  mound  of  earth,  from 
whence  that  buzzing  issued.  I  went  up  to  it,  and  seeing  the 
porter,  asked  who  were  within  the  walls.  lie  said,  "The 
wisest  of  the  wise,  who  are  now  debating  together  on  sul)jects 
superiuitural."  He  said  this  in  the  simplicity  of  his  belief. 
And  I  said,  "'  May  I  be  permitted  to  enter?"  "Yes,"  says  he, 
"  on  condition  thou  wilt  say  nothing  ;  for  I  have  leave  to  admit 
Gentiles  to  stand  with  me  at  the  door."  So  I  went  in,  and  lo, 
there  was  a  circus,  and  in  the  centre  a  pulpit,  where  an  assem- 
bly of  the  wise,  so  called,  were  discussing  the  mysteries  of 
faith.  The  subject  or  proposition  then  in  debate  was,  AV^hether 
the  good  which  a  man  does  in  the  state  of  justification  by  faith, 
or  in  its  progression  after  the  act,  is  the  good  of  religion,  or 
not.  They  were  unanimous  in  defining  the  good  of  religion  to 
be  such  good  as  contributes  to  salvation.  Tiie  debate  was  warm, 
but  victory  inclined  to  the  side  of  those  who  contended,  that 
the  good  actions  which  a  man  does  in  the  state  or  progression 
of  faith,  are  only  such  as  are  moral,  civil,  and  political,  and 
which  contribute  nothing  to  salvation,  since  it  is  faith  only  that 
can  do  this.  This  opinion  they  confirmed  by  the  following  ar- 
guments :  "  How,"  said  they,  "  can  any  good  thing,  jM-oceed- 
ing  from  man's  will,  be  conjoined  with  free  grace ?"^  How  can 
any  work  of  man  be  conjiected  with  what  is  freely  given  ? 
And  is  not  salvation  of  free  grace  ?  How,  again,  can  any  good 
thing,  proceeding  from  man,  be  conjoined  with  the  merit  of 
Christ,  which  is  the  only  means  of  salvation?  And  how  is  it 
])Ossil)lo  for  man's  operation  to  be  conjoined  with  the  operation 
cf  the  Holy  Ghost?  Does  not  the  Holy  Ghost  do  all  witiiout 
the  aid  or  assistance  of  man  ?  Are  not  these  three  things  alone 
conducive  to  salvation  in  the  act  of  justification  by  faitli?  And 
do  they  not  remain  alone  conducive  to  salvation  in  the  state  or 
progress  of  faith?  Of  consequence,  the  accessory  good  on 
man's  part  can  in  no  wise  be  called  the  good  of  religion,  which, 
as  was  observed,  contributes  to  salvation,  but  ought  rather  to  be 
called  the  evil  of  religion,  whensoever  it  is  done  with  a  view  to 
salvation."  There  were  two  Gentiles  standing  with  the  door- 
keeper in  the  porch,  who  heard  all  this  reasoning ;  and  one  of 
them  said  to  the  other,  "These  people  have  no  religion  at  all ; 
tor  who  does  not  see  that  what  is  called  religion  consists  in  doincj 
369  T 


THE   APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Cllflp.  X!. 

good  to  one's  neighbour  for  the  sake  of  God,  consequently,  with 
God,  and  from  God  ?"  And  the  other  said,  "  Their  faith  has 
infatuated  them."  Tlien  they  asked  the  door-keeper,  "  Who 
are  these  people  ?"  And  he  replied,  "  They  are  wise  Chris- 
tians." Tliey  replied,  "  Nonsense  I  thou  art  imposing  upon  us; 
by  their  manner  of  speaking  we  should  take  them  for  jug- 
glers." I  then  departed ;  and  some  time  after,  when  I  looked 
at  the  place  where  that  building  was,  behold  !  it  was  a  stagnant 
pool. 

These  things,  just  as  I  hav^e  described  them,  were  seen  and 
heard  by  me  when  I  was  perfectly  awake,  both  as  to  my  body 
and  my  spirit :  for  the  Lord  has  so  united  my  spirit  to  my  body 
that  I  am  in  both  at  one  and  the  same  time.  My  going  to  that 
building,  and  their  then  being  engaged  in  debate  on  those  sub- 
jects, with  the  other  circumstances  that  have  been  described, 
were  so  ordered  by  the  divine  auspices  of  the  Lord. 


(JIIAPTER  XL 


1.  And  tnere  was  given  me  a  reed  like  nnto  a  rod  :  and  the 
angel  stood  by,  saying.  Rise,  and  measure  the  temple  of  God, 
and  the  altar,  and  them  that  wor«hip  therein. 

2.  But  the  court  which  is  witnout  the  temple  leave  out,  and 
measure  it  not;  for  it  is  given  miio  the  Gentiles  :  and  the  holy 
pity  shall  they  tread  under  foot  forty  and  two  months. 

3.  And  1  will  give  unto  my  two  witnesses,  and  they  shall 
prophesy  a  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  days,  clothed  in 
sackcloth. 

4.  These  are  the  two  olive-trees,  and  the  two  candlesticks, 
standing  before  the  God  of  the  earth. 

5.  And  if  any  one  desire  to  hurt  them,  fire  shall  proceed 
out  of  their  mouth,  and  shall  devour  their  enemies  ;  and  if  any 
one  desire  to  hurt  them,  he  must  thus  be  killed. 

6.  These  have  power  to  shut  heaven,  that  the  rain  fall  not 
in  the  days  of  their  prophecy  :  and  have  power  over  the  waters 
to  turn  tliem  into  blood  ;  and  to  smite  the  earth  with  every 
j)lague,  as  often  as  they  will. 

7.  And  when  they  shall  have  finished  their  testimony,  the 
beast  that  ascendeth  out  of  the  bottomless  pit  shall  make  war 
with  them,  and  shall  overcome  them,  and  kill  them. 

8.  And  their  dead  bodies  shall  lie  in  the  street  of  the  great 
city,  v/hich  spiritually  is  called  Sodom  and  Egypt,  where  also 
our  Lord  was  crucified. 

9.  And  they  of  the  peoples,  and  tribes,  and  tongues,  and 
370 


Ciiap.  Xi.]  THE    ArOCALTPRE    REVEALED. 

nations,  shall  see  their  dead  bodies  three  days  and  a  half,  and 
shall  not  suffer  their  dead  bodies  tu  be  put  into  moiniments. 

10.  And  they  that  dwell  upon  the  earth  shall  rejoice  over 
them  and  be  glad,  and  shall  send  gifts  one  to  another;  because 
these  two  prophets  tormented  them  that  dwell  upon  the  earth. 

11.  And  after  three  days  and  a  half,  the  spirit  of  life  from 
God  entered  into  them,  and  they  stood  upon  their  feet;  and 
great  fear  fell  upon  them  that  saw  them. 

12.  And  they  heard  a  great  voice  from  heaven,  saying  unto 
them,  Come  up  hither.  And  they  ascended  up  to  heaven  in  a 
cloud  :  and  their  enemies  beheld  them. 

13.  And  the  same  hour  there  was  a  great  earthquake,  and 
the  tenth  part  of  the  city  fell,  and  in  the  earthquake  were  slain 
names  of  men  seven  thousand ;  and  the  remnant  were  affrighted, 
and  gave  glory  to  the  God  of  heaven. 

14.  The  second  woe  is  past ;  behold,  the  third  woe  cometh 
quickly. 

15.  And  the  seventh  angel  sounded ;  and  there  were  great 
voices  in  heaven,  saying.  The  kingdoms  of  the  world  are  become 
the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord  and  of  his  Christ,  and  he  shall  reign 
for  ever  and  ever. 

16.  And  the  four-and-twenty  elders,  that  sat  before  God  on 
their  thrones,  fell  upon  their  faces,  and  worshipped  God, 

17.  Saying,  We  give  thee  thanks,  O  Lord  God  Almighty, 
who  art,  and  who  wast,  and  who  art  to  come,  because  thou  hast 
taken  to  thee  thy  great  power,' and  hast  begun  to  reign. 

18.  And  the  nations  were  angry ;  and  thy  wrath  is  come, 
and  the  time  of  judging  the  dead,  and  of  giving  reward  unto 
thy  servants  the  prophets,  and  to  the  saints,  and  to  them  that 
fear  thy  name,  both  small  and  great ;  and  of  destroying  them 
that  destroy  the  earth. 

19.  And  the  temple  of  God  was  opened  in  heaven ;  and 
there  was  seen  in  his  temple  the  ark  of  his  covenant ;  and  there 
were  lightnings,  and  voices,  and  thunderings,  and  an  earth- 
quake, and  great  hail. 


THE  SPIRITUAL  SENSE. 


The  Contents  of  the  whole  Chapter.  The  state  of  the 
church  among  the  reformed  is  still  treated  of,  as  to  the  quality 
of  those  who  are  interiorly  principled  in  faith  alone,  contrary 
TO  the  two  essentials  of  the  j^ew  Church,  which  teach  that  the 
Lord  is  the  only  God  of  heaven  and  earth,  that  his  Humanity 
is  Divine  ;  and  that  men  ought  to  live  according  to  the  precepts 
•of  the  decalogue.  That  these  two  essentials  were  declared  to 
371 


TOE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.        [Chap  Xl. 

them,  verses  3 — 6.  But  that  they  were  totally  rejected,  verses 
7 — 10.  That  they  Avere  raised  np  again  by  the  Lord,  verses 
11,  12.  That  they  M'ho  rejected  thein,  perished,  verse  13. 
That  the  setate  of  the  New  Cliurch  was  manifested  from  the  new 
heaven,  verses  15 — 19. 

The  Contents  of  each  Yeese.  Y.  1,  "  And  there  was 
given  me  a  reed  like  unto  a  rod,"  signifies  that  the  faculty  and 
power  of  knowing  and  seeing  the  state  of  the  church  in  heaven 
and  in  the  world  was  given  :  "  And  the  angel  stood  by,  saying, 
Kise,  and  measure  the  temple  of  God,  and  the  altar,  and  them 
that  worship  therein,"  signifies  the  Lord's  presence  and  his 
command,  that  he  should  see  and  know  the  stato  of  the  church 
in  the  new  heaven :  v.  2,  "But  the  court  which  is  without  the 
temple  leave  out,  and  measure  it  not,"  signifies  that  the  state 
of  the  church  on  earth,  such  as  it  is  at  present,  is  to  be  removed, 
and  not  known  :  "  For  it  is  given  unto  the  Gentiles,"  signifies, 
because  the  state  of  that  church  is  destroyed  and  laid  waste  by 
evils  of  life:  "And  the  holy  city  shall  they  tread  under  foot 
forty  and  two  months,"  signifies  that  it  would  disperse  every 
truth  of  the  Word,  CA^en  to  nothing  of  the  kind  remaining: 
V.  3,  "And  I  will  give  unto  my  two  witnesses,"  signifies  those 
who  confess  and  acknowledge  in  their  hearts  that  the  Lord  is 
the  God  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  that  his  Humanity  is  Divine, 
and  who  are  conjoined  to  him  by  a  life  according  to  tlie  pre- 
cepts of  the  decalogue  :  "  And  they  shall  prophesy  a  thousand 
two  hundred  and  sixty  days,"  signifies  that  these  two  articles, 
the  acknowledgment  of  the  Lord,  and  a  life  according  to  the 
commandments  of  the  decalogue,  which  are  the  two  essentials 
of  the  New  Church,  are  to  be  taught  until  the  end  and  the  be- 
ginning: "Clothed  in  sackcloth,"  signifies  lamentation  in  the 
mean  time  on  account  of  the  non-reception  of  truth :  v.  4, 
"  These  are  the  two  olive-trees,  and  the  two  candlesticks,  stand- 
ing before  the  God  of  the  earth,"  signifies  love  and  intelligence, 
or  charity  and  faith,  from  the  Lord  with  them :  v.  5,  "  And  if 
any  one  desire  to  hurt  them,  fire  shall  proceed  out  of  their 
mouth,  and  shall  devour  their  enemies,"  signifies  that  they 
who  desire  to  destroy  these  two  essentials  of  the  New  Church, 
will  perish  by  reason  of  infernal  love:  "And  if  any  one  desire 
to  hurt  them,  he  must  thus  be  killed,"  signifies  that  he  who 
condemns  them  shall  in  like  manner  be  condemned:  v.  6, 
"These  have  power  to  shut  heaven,  that  the  rain  fall  not  in  the 
days  of  their  prophecy,"  signifies  that  they  who  reject  these 
two  essentials  cannot  receive  any  truth  from  heaven :  "  And 
have  power  over  the  waters  to  turn  them  into  blood,"  signifies 
that  they  who  reject  them  talsify  the  truths  of  the  Word : 
"  And  to  smite  the  earth  with  every  plague,  as  often  as  they 
will,"  signifies  that  they  who  desire  to  destroy  them,  will  plunge 
themselves  into  all  kinds  of  evils  and  falses,  as  often  as  and  iD 
372 


Chap,  xi.]  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED. 

])roportion  as  they  do  so:  v.  7,  "And  M-lieii  they  i?h;dl  have 
tiiiished  their  testimony,"  sigiiilies  that  after  the  Lord  tau^lit 
these  two  essentials  of  the  New  Churcli :  "The  beast  tliat 
;iscendeth  out  of  the  bottomless  pit  shall  make  war  with  them, 
and  shall  overcome  them,  and  Kill  them,"  signifies  that  they 
who  are  principled  in  the  internals  of  the  doctrine  of  faitli 
alone  will  reject  these  two  essentials:  v.  8,  "And  their  dead 
bodies  shall  lie  in  the  street  of  the  2;reat  city,"  signifies  that 
they  are  totally  rejected  :  "Which  spiritually  is  called  Sodom 
and  Eg3'pt,"  signifies  two  infernal  loves,  which  are  the  love  of 
dominion  grounded  in  self-love,  and  the  love  of  rule  grounded 
in  the  pride  of  self-derived  intelligence,  which  exist  in  the 
ehurch  where  one  God  is  not  acknowledged,  and  the  Lord  not 
worshipped,  and  where  they  do  not  live  according  to  the  pre- 
ce})ts  of  the  decalogue  :  "Where  also  our  Lord  was  crucified," 
signifies  non-acknowledguient  of  the  Lord's  Divine  Iliinianity, 
and,  consequently,  a  state  of  rejection:  v.  9,  "And  they  of 
the  peoples,  and  tribes,  and  tongues,  and  luitions,  shall  see  their 
dead  bodies  three  days  and  a  half,"  signifies  when  all  they, 
who,  until  the  end  of  the  present  church  and  the  begiiming  of 
the  jSew  Church,  have  been  and  will  be  in  falses  of  doctrine  and 
evils  of  life  from  faith  alone,  have  heard  and  shall  hear  of  these 
two  essentials  :  "  And  shall  not  suffer  their  dead  bodies  to  be 
l)ut  into  monuments,"  signifies  that  they  coiulemned  and  will 
condemn  them :  v.  10,  "  And  they  that  dwell  upon  the  earth 
shall  rejoice  over  them  and  be  glad,"  signifies  the  delight  of 
the  affection  of  the  heart  and  soul  in  the  church  among  those 
who  were  in  faith  alone:  "And  shall  send  gifts  one  to  an- 
otlier,"  signifies  consociation  through  love  and  friendship : 
"  Because  these  two  prophets  tormented  them  that  dwell  upon 
tlie  earth,"  signifies  that  these  two  essentials  of  the  New  Church, 
by  reason  of  their  contrariety  to  the  two  essentials  received 
in  the  Reformed  Church,  are  held  in  contempt,  dislike,  and 
averison :  v.  11,  "  And  after  three  days  and  a  half  the  spirit 
of  life  from  God  entered  into  them,  and  they  stood  upon  their 
feet,"  signifies  that  these  two  essentials,  during  the  commence- 
ment and  progress  of  the  New  Church,  will,  with  those  who 
receive  them,  be  vivified  by  the  Lord:  "And  great  fear  fell 
upon  them  that  saw  them,"  signifies  commotion  of  mind  and 
consternation  at  divine  truths  :  v.  12,  "  And  they  heard  a  great 
voice  from  heaven,  saying  unto  them.  Come  up  hither,"  si<;ni- 
lies  that  these  two  essentials  of  the  New  Church  were  taken 
up  by  the  l4)rd  into  heaven,  from  whence  they  came,  and  where 
they  are,  and  the  protection  of  them  :  "  And  they  ascended  up 
to  heaven  in  a  cloud,"  signifies  the  taking  them  up  into  heaven, 
and  conjunction  there  with  the  Lord  by  the  divine  truth  of 
the  Word  in  its  literal  sense :  "  And  their  enemies  beheld 
fchem,"  signifies  that  they  who  are  in  faith  separated  froic 
373 


THE  APOCALYPSE  EEVEALED.        [Chap.  Xl. 

charity  heard  them,  but  remained  in  their  own  falsities :  v.  13, 
"  And  tlie  same  hour  there  was  a  great  earthquake,  and  the 
tenth  part  of  the  city  fell,"  signifies  a  remarkable  change  of 
Btate  which  then  took  place  with  them,  and  their  separation 
from  heaven,  followed  by  a  sinking  down  into  hell :  "  And  in 
the  earthquake  were  slain  names  of  nien  seven  thousand,"  sig- 
nifies that  all  those  who  were  in  the  confession  of  faith  alone, 
and  therefore  made  no  account  of  works  of  charity,  perished : 
"  And  the  remnant  were  affrighted,  and  gave  glory  to  the  God 
of  heaven,"  signifies  that  they  who  saw  their  destruction  ac 
knowledged  the  Lord,  and  were  separated  :  v.  14,  "The  second 
woe  is  past ;  behold  the  third  woe  cometh  quickly,"  signifies 
lamentation  over  the  perverted  state  of  the  church,  and  then 
the  last  lamentation,  to  be  treated  of  presently  :  v.  15,  "  And 
the  seventh  angel  sounded,"  signifies  the  exploration  and  mani- 
festation of  the  state  of  the  church  after  the  consummation, 
at  the  coming  of  the  Lord  and  of  his  kingdom :  "  And  there 
were  great  voices  in  heaven,  saying,  The  kingdoms  of  the 
world  are  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord  and  of  his  Christ, 
and  he  shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever,"  signifies  celebrations  by 
the  angels,  because  heaven  and  the  church  are  become  the 
Lord's,  as  they  were  from  the  beginning,  and  because  now  they 
are  in  subjection  also  to  his  Divine  Humanity,  consequently 
that  now,  both  as  to  his  Humanity  and  his  Divinity,  the  Lord 
will  reign  over  heaven  and  the  church  to  eternity  :  v.  16,  "  And 
the  four-and-twenty  elders,  that  sat  before  God  on  their  thrones, 
fell  upon  their  faces,  and  worshipped  God,"  signifies  an  acknow- 
ledgment by  all  the  angels  of  heaven,  that  the  Lord  is  the 
God  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  supreme  adoration  :  v.  17,  "  Say- 
ing, We  give  thee  thanks,  O  Lord  God  Almighty,  who  art,  and 
who  wast,  and  who  art  to  come,"  simifies  a  confession  and 
glorification  by  the  angels  of  heaven,  that  it  is  the  Lord  who  is, 
who  has  life  and  power  from  himself,  and  Mdio  rules  all  things, 
because  he  alone  is  eternal  and  infinite :  "  Because  thou  hast 
taken  to  thee  thy  great  power,  and  hast  begun  to  reign,"  signi- 
fies the  new  heaven  and  the  New  Church,  where  they  acknow- 
ledge him  to  be  the  only  God :  v.  18,  "  And  the  nations  were 
angry,"  signifies  those  who  are  in  faith  alone,  and  thence  in 
evils  of  life,  that  they  were  enraged,  and  infested  those  who 
are  against  their  faith :  "  And  thy  wrath  is  come,  and  the  time 
of  judgmg  the  dead,"  signifies  their  destruction,  and  the  exe- 
cution of  the  last  judgment  upon  those  who  have  not  any  spi- 
ritual life :  "  And  of  giving  reward  unto  thy  servifits  the  pro- 
phets, and  to  the  saints,"  signifies  the  felicity  of  life  eternal  to 
those  who  are  in  truths  of  doctrine  from  the  Word,  and  in  a 
life  according  to  them  :  "  And  to  them  that  fear  thv  name,  both 
small  and  grea ;,"  signifies  who  l')ve  the  things  which  relate  to 
the  Lord  in  a  lesser  or  greater  degree:  "And  of  destroying 
374 


7.  1.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  485 

them  that  destroy  the  earth,"  signifies  the  casting  of  tliose 
into  liell  who  have  destroyed  the  church :  v.  19,  "  And  the 
tem])le  of  God  was  opened  in  heaven;  and  tliere  w^as  seen  in 
liis  temple  the  ark  of  liis  covenant,"  signiiics  tlie  new  heaven, 
in  which  the  Lord  in  his  Divine  Humanity  is  worshipped  ;  and 
■where  they  live  according  to  the  precepts  of  his  decalogue, 
these  constituting  the  two  essentials  of  the  New  Church,  where- 
by conjunction  is  etfected :  "And  there  were  lightnings,  and 
voices,  and  thunderings,  and  an  earthquake,  and  great  hail," 
signilies  the  ratiociiuitions,  commotions,  aiid  falsifications  of 
good  and  truth,  that  ensued  in  the  spheres  beneath  (m  inferi- 
oribus). 


THE  EXPLANATION. 


485.  AjkI  there  was  given  me  a  reed  like  unto  a  rod,  signi- 
fies that  the  faculty  and  power  of  knowing  and  seeing  the  stato 
of  the  church  in  heaven  and  in  the  world  was  given  by  the  Lord, 
By  a  reed  is  signified  feeble  power,  such  as  man  has  from  him- 
self; and  by  a  rod,  or  staff,  is  signified  great  power,  such  as 
man  has  from  the  Lord  ;  therefore  by  a  reed  being  given  him 
like  unto  a  rod,  is  signified  power  from  the  Lord.  That  it 
means  the  faculty  and  power  of  knowing  and  seeing  the  state 
of  the  church  in  heaven  and  in  the  world,  is  plain  from  what 
follows  in  this  chapter  to  the  end.  That  by  a  reed,  or  cane,  is 
signified  feeble  power,  such  as  man  has  from  himself,  is  evident 
from  these  passages:  "Lo,  thou  trustest  in  the  staff  of  thi.'i 
broken  reed,  on  Egypt ;  whereon  when  if  a  man  lean  it  will  go 
into  his  hand,  and  pierce  it,"  Isaiah  xxxvi.  6.  "  And  all  the 
inhabitants  of  Egypt  shall  know,  that  I  am  Jehovah,  because 
they  have  been  a  staff  of  reed  to  the  house  of  Israel ;  when  they 
took  hold  of  thee  by  the  hand,  thou  didst  break,  and  rend  all 
their  shoulder,"  Ezek.  xxix.  6,  7.  By  Egypt  is  signitied  the 
natural  man  who  trusts  in  his  own  strength,  therefore  he  is 
called  the  staff  of  a  bruised  reed.  By  reed  is  signified  feeble 
power,  in  Isaiah :  "  A  bruised  reed  shall  he  not  break,  and  the 
smoking  flax  shall  he  not  quench,"  Isaiah  xlii.  3.  But  by  a 
rod,  or  a  staff,  is  signified  strong  power,  which  is  from  the  Lord  ; 
in  the  present  instance,  power  to  know  the  state  of  the  church, 
because  the  temple  and  altar  was  measured  with  a  rod  ;  and  by 
measuring  is  signified  to  know,  and  by  the  temple  and  altar  iti 
signified  the  church  ;  as  will  be  seen  presently.  A  rod  signi- 
fies power,  because  wood,  of  which  walking-staves  were  mado 
among  those  of  the  ancient  church,  signifies  good  ;  and  because 
375 


486  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  ""Chap.  J\. 

a  staff  is  instead  of  the  right  hand,  and  supports  it,  and  by  tlie 
right  hand  is  signified  power ;  hence  it  is,  that  a  sceptre  is  a 
short  staff,  and  by  a  sceptre  is  signified  regal  power;  and  a 
sceptre  and  staff'  are  expressed  by  one  and  tlie  same  word  in 
the  Hebrew  language.  That  a  staff  signifies  power,  is  evident 
from  these  places :  "  Say,  how  is  the  strotig  staff  broken,  and 
the  beautiful  rod — come  down  from  thy  glory  and  sit  in  thirst," 
Jerem.  xlviii.  17,  18.  "Jehovah  shall  send  tlie  rod  of  thy 
strength  out  of  Zion,"  Psalm  ex.  2.  "  Thou  didst  strike  through 
with  his  staves  the  head  of  his  villages,"  Habak.  iii.  14.  "  Israel 
is  the  rod  of  Jehovah's  inheritance,"  Jerem.  x.  16 ;  li.  19. 
"Thy  rod  and  thy  staff  t\\Qj  comfort  me,"  Psalm  xxiii.  4.  "Je- 
hovah hath  broken  the  staff — of  his  shoulder,"  Isaiah  ix.  4 ; 
xiv.  5  ;  Psalm  cxxv.  3.  "  My  people  ask  counsel  at  their  stocks, 
and  their  s^o^f  declareth  unto  them,"  Hoseaiv.  12.  "  Jehovah 
doth  take  away  from  Jerusalem — the  staff  of  bread,  and  all  the 
staff'  oi  water,"  Isaiah  iii.  1,  2;  Ezek.  iv.  16;  v.  16;  xiv.  13; 
Psalm  cv.  16;  Levit.  xxvi.  26.  By  the  stafl"  of  bread  and 
water  is  signified  the  power  of  goodness  and  truth ;  and  by 
Jerusalem,  the  church.  By  the  rod  of  Levi,  upon  which  was 
the  name  of  Aaron,  which  blossomed  in  the  tabernacle  and 
yielded  almonds,  Numb.  xvii.  2,  3,  7,  8,  in  a  spiritual  sense, 
nothing  else  is  signified  but  the  power  of  truth  and  good,  be- 
cause by  Levi  and  Aaron  was  signified  the  truth  and  good  of 
the  church.  That  power  is  signified  by  a  staff,  is  evident  from 
the  power  of  the,  staff'  or  rod  of  Moses,  in  that  by  stretching 
forth  his  rod  the  waters  were  turned  into  blood,  Exod.  vii.  20. 
That  frogs  were  made  to  come  up  over  the  land  of  Egypt, 
Exod.  viii.  1,  and  following  verses.  That  lice  were  caused  to 
be  produced,  Exod.  viii.  12,  and  following  verses.  That  by  the 
rod  were  caused  tlmnderings  and  hail,  Exod.  ix.  23,  and  fol- 
lowing verses.  That  locusts  were  made  to  come  forth,  Exod. 
X.  12,  and  following  verses.  That  waters  were  made  to  gush 
out  of  the  rock  in  Horeb,  Exod.  xvii.  5,  and  following  verses; 
Numb.  XX.  7 — 13.  That  the  Red  Sea  was  divided  and  turned 
back,  Exod.  xiv.  16,  21,  26.  That  by  the  rod,  when  lifted  up 
in  the  hand  of  Moses,  Joshua  overcame  the  Amalekites,  Exod. 
xvii.  9 — 12.  That  fire  was  made  to  issue  from  the  rock  by  the 
staff'  of  the  angel.  Judges  vi.  21.  From  all  these  passages  it 
appears,  that  by  a  rod,  or  staft",  is  signified  power:  likewise 
from  other  passages  ;  as  in  Isaiah  x.  5,  24,  26 ;  xi.  4 ;  xiv.  5 ; 
XXX.  31,  32;  Ezek.  xix.  10 — 14;  Lament,  iii.  1,  2;  Micah  vii. 
14  ;  Ze«h.  x.  11 ;  Numb.  xxi.  18. 

486.  And  the  angel  stood  hy,  saying,  Rise,  and  measure  the 
temple  of  God^  and  the  altar,  and  them  that  worshii)  therein,  sig- 
nifies the  Lord's  presence  and  his  command,  that  he  should  see 
and  know  the  state  of  the  church  in  the  new  heaven.  By  angel 
is  meant  the  Lord,  here  as  in  n.  5,  415.  and  other  places,  be- 
376 


T.  l.J  THE    APOCALYPSK    RKVEAI.KD,  486 

cause  ail  angel  never  does  any  tiling  from  liiinself,  but  only  from 
tlie  Lord ;  therefore  he  says,  I  will  give  my  two  witnesses, 
verse  3,  and  these  were  the  Lord's  witnesses.  By  standing  by 
is  signified  the  Loin's  presence ;  and  by  saying  is  signified  his 
command ;  by  rise  and  measure  are  signified  to  see  and  know ; 
that  to  measure  signifies  to  know  and  scrutinize  the  quality  of  a 
state,  will  be  seen  below.  By  the  temple,  the  altar,  and  them 
that  worship  therein,  is  signified  the  state  of  the  church  in  the 
new  heaven  ; — by  the  temple,  the  church  as  to  truth  of  doc- 
trine, n,  191 ;  by  the  altar,  the  church  as  to  the  good  of  love, 
n.  392 ;  and  by  tliein  that  worship  is  signified  the  church  as 
to  worship  proceeding  from  these  two  sources.  By  them  that 
worship  is  here  signified  adoration,  which  has  relation  to  wor- 
sliij),  because  the  spiritual  sense  is  abstracted  from  persons,  n. 
78,  79,  96  :  that  this  is  the  case  in  the  present  passage,  i%- evi- 
dent from  this  circumstance  also,  that  he  was  told  to  measure 
them  that  worship;  for  these  three  things  constitute  the  church, 
viz.,  truth  of  doctrine,  good  of  love,  and  worship  proceeding 
from  both.  That  it  is  the  church  in  the  new  heaven  which  is 
meant,  is  plain  from  the  last  verse  of  this  chapter,  where  it  is 
said,  that  the  temple  of  God  was  o})ened  in  heaven,  and  there 
was  seen  in  his  temple  the  ark  of  his  covenant,  verse  19.  The 
reason  Avhy  the  measuring  the  temple  is  spoken  of  at  the  be- 
ginning of  this  chapter,  is,  in  order  that  the  state  of  the  church 
in  heaven,  before  it  M'as  brought  into  conjunction  with  the 
church  in  the  world,  might  be  seen  and  known :  the  church  in 
the  world  is  meant  by  the  court  without  the  temple,  which  was 
not  to  be  measured,  because  it  was  given  to  the  Gentiles, 
verse  2 ;  and  then  it  is  described  as  the  great  city,  which  is 
called  Sodom  and  Egypt,  verses  7,  9 ;  but  after  the  fall  of  that 
great  city,  verse  13,  it  follows  that  the  church  wiis  become  the 
Lord's,  verse  15,  and  subsequent  verses.  It  must  be  observed, 
that  there  is  a  church  in  the  heavens  as  well  as  on  earth ;  and 
that  they  make  one,  like  the  internal  and  external  with  man; 
wherefore  a  church  in  the  heavens  is  first  provided  by  the  Lord, 
and  from  it,  or  by  it,  a  church  on  earth ;  thence,  it  is  said,  that 
the  New  Jerusalem  came  down  from  God  out  of  the  new  hea- 
ven, chaj).  xxi.  1,  2.  By  the  new  heaven  is  meant  the  new 
heaven  composed  of  Christians,  which  is  frequently  treated  of 
in  the  following  pages.  To  measure  signifies  to  know  and  scru- 
tinize the  quality  of  any  thing;  because  by  a  measure  is  signified 
the  quality  of  a  thing,  or  state;  this  is  signified  by  all  the  mea- 
sures of  the  New  Jerusalem,  cliap.  xxi. ;  and  also  by  these 
words,  which  occur  there  :  Tiie  angel  having  a  golden  reed, 
measured  the  city  and  the  gates  thereof;  and  he  measured  the 
wall,  one  hundred  and  forty-four  cubits;  the  ttheasiire  o^  sl  man, 
that  is,  of  an  angel,  verses  15,  17;  and  as  by  tlie  New  Jeru- 
salem is  signified  a  New  Church,  it  is  plain  that  by  measuring 
377 


487  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Chap.  Xl. 

it,  and  the  things  relating  to  it,  is  signified  to  know  its  quality. 
To  measure  has  a  similar  signification  in  Ezekiel,  where  it  is 
said,  That  the  angel  measured  the  house  of  God,  the  temple,  the 
altar,  the  court,  and  the  chambers,  xl.  3 — it ;  xli.  1 — 5,  13, 14, 
22 ;  xlii.  and  xliii.  And  that  he  measured  the  waters,  xlvii.  3 
■ — 5,  9.  Therefore  it  is  said.  Show  the  house  of  Israel  the  pat- 
tern, that  they  may  be  ashamed  of  their  iniquities ;  and  let 
them  77ieasure  the  pattern,  and  the  goings  out  thereof,  and  the 
comings  in  thereof,  and  all  the  forms  thereof,  that  they  may 
keep  the  wtole  pattern,  Ezek.  xliii.  10,  11.  The  like  is  signi- 
fied by  measuring,  in  these  passages :  "'  I  lifted  up  mine  eyes, 
and  behold,  a  man,  in  whose  hand  was  a  fneasuring  line,  and  I 
said.  Whither  goest  thou  ?  and  he  said.  To  measure  Jerusalem^ 
Zecli.  ii.  1,  5,  6,  8.  He  stood  and  measured  the  earth,  Habak. 
iii.  6»  The  Lord  Jehovah  "  hath  measured  the  watei-s  in  the 
hollow  of  his  hand,  and  meted  out  heaven  with  a  span,  and 
w^eighed  the  mountains  in  scales,  and  the  hills  in  a  balance," 
Isaiah  xl.  12.  "Where  wast  thou  wdien  I  laid  the  foundations 
of  the  earth  ?  who  laid  the  measures  thereof,  or  who  hath 
stretched  the  line  upon  it?"  Job  xxxviii.  4 — 6. 

487.  But  the  court  which  is  without  the  temjple  leave  out,  and 
measure  it  not,  signifies  that  the  state  of  the  church  on  earth, 
such  as  it  is  at  present,  is  to  be  removed,  and  not  to  be  known. 
By  the  court  without  the  temple  is  signified  the  church  on 
earth,  this  being  without  heaven  or  the  temple,  n.  486 ;  by 
leaving  it  out  is  signified  to  remove  it,  in  this  instance,  from 
heaven,  because  such  is  its  state ;  and  by  not  measuring  it  is 
signified  not  to  scrutinize  and  know  its  quality,  n.  486.  The 
reason  follows ;  namely,  because  it  is  given  unto  the  Gentiles, 
and  the  holy  city  shall  they  tread  under  foot  forty  and  two 
months.  That  by  the  court  without  the  temple  is  here  signified 
the  church  on  earth  such  as  it  still  is,  appears  from  what  fol- 
lows in  this  chapter,  wdiere  it  is  described  as  the  great  city, 
which  spiritually  is  called  Sodom  and  Egypt,  in  which  the 
Lord's  two  witnesses  lay  dead,  and  which  afterwards  fell  in  a 
great  earthquake,  wherein  were  slain  names  of  men  seven  thou- 
sand ;  besides  other  circumstances.  By  a  court,  in  the  Word  in 
other  places,  is  signified  the  external  of  the  church  ;  for  there 
were  two  courts,  through  which  it  was  necessary  to  pass,  in 
order  to  go  into  the  temple  itself  at  Jerusalem;  and  because  by 
the  temple  was  signified  the  church  as  to  its  internal,  therefore 
by  the  courts  was  signified  the  church  as  to  its  external;  where- 
fore the  strangers,  who  were  from  among  the  Gentiles,  were 
admitted  into  the  courts,  but  not  into  the  temple  itself.  And 
as  the  external  of  the  church  is  signified  by  a  court,  therefore 
also  the  church  on  earth  is  signified  thereby,  and  alsc  heaven  in 
ultimates,  because  the  churcli  on  earth  is  the  entrance  to  hea- 
ven, and  likewise  heaven  in  ultimates.  That  is  what  is  signified 
378 


V.  1,  2.1  THE  APOCALTPSE  REVEALED.  488,  489 

by  a  court,  iti  the  following  passages :  "  Blessed  is  the  man 
whom  thou  clioosest,  that  he  may  dwell  in  thy  courts  ',  we  shall 
be  satisfied  with  the  goodness  of  thy  house,  even  of  thy  holy 
temple,"  Psalm  Ixv.  5.  "  Praise  ye  the  name  of  Jehovah,  ye 
who  stand  in  his  house,  in  the  courts  of  the  house  of  our  God," 
Psalm  cxxxv.  1,  2.  "  How  amiable  are  thy  tabernacles,  O 
Jehovah  :  my  soul  .ongeth,  yea,  even  fainteth,  for  the  courts  of 
Jehovah^''  Psalm  Ixxxiv.  1,  2.  "  Enter  into  his  gates  with 
thanksf^iving,  and  iiito  his  courts  M'ith  praise,"  Psalm  c.  4. 
"The  righteous  shall  flourish  like  the  palm-tree,  those  that  be 
planted  in  the  house  of  Jehovah  shall  flourish  in  the  courts  of 
our  God,"  Psalm  xcii.  12,  13.  "  A  day  in  thy  courts  is  better 
than  a  thousand  :  I  had  rather  be  a  door-keeper  in  the  house  of 
my  God,  than  to  dwell  in  the  tents  of  wickedness,"  Psalm 
Ixxxiv.  10  ;  besides  others  ;  as  in  Psalm  xcvi.  7 ;  Isaiah  i.  12  ; 
Ixii.  9  ;  Zech.  iii.  7  ;  Ezek.  x.  3 — 5.  Of  the  courts  of  the  temple 
of  Jerusalem,  1  Kings  vi.  3,  36.  Of  the  courts  of  the  new 
temple,  Ezek.  xl.  17 — 31—44;  xlii.  1—4;  xliii.  4—7.  And 
of  the  coitrt  without  the  tabernacle,  Exod.  xxvii.  9 — 18. 

488.  For  it  is  given  unto  the  Gentiles,  signifies,  because  the 
state  of  that  church  is  destroyed  and  laid  waste  by  evils  of  life, 
as  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  Gentiles,  as  denoting  those 
who  are  in  evils  of  life,  and,  abstractedly,  evils  of  life,  n.  147, 
483. 

489.  And  the  holy  city  shall  they  tread  under  foot  forty  and 
two  months,  signifies  that  it  would  disperse  every  truth  of  the 
"Word,  even  to  nothing  remaining.  By  the  holy  city  is  meant 
the  holy  Jerusalem ;  and  by  the  holy  Jerusalem  is  meant  the 
Kew  Church  which  is  in  truths  of  doctrine,  for  holy  is  predi- 
cated of  divine  truth,  n.  173 ;  and  a  city  signifies  doctrine,  n. 
194;  therefore  by  treading  that  city  under  foot  is  signified  to 
disperse  the  truths  of  its  doctrine;  by  forty  and  two  months  is 
signified  until  there  is  an  end,  wdien  there  is  no  truth  left;  by 
truths  of  doctrine  are  meant  truths  from  the  Word,  because  the 
doctrine  of  the  church,  and  all  that  relates  to  it,  is  thence 
derived.  That  they  who  are,  at  this  day,  in  the  internals  of  the 
church,  have  so  dispersed  the  truths  of  the  Word,  and  thence 
the  doctrines  of  the  church,  and  every  thing  relating  to  the 
church,  is  described  in  this  chapter  by  the  beast  coming  up  out 
of  the  bottondess  pit,  in  that  he  slew  the  two  witnesses,  verse  7, 
and  may  also  be  seen  from  the  Memorable  Eelations  from  the 
spiritual  world,  annexed  to  each  chapter.  By  forty  and  two 
months  is  signified  to  the  end,  and  till  nothing  good  or  true 
is  left  in  the  church,  because  the  same  thing  is  signified  by 
forty  and  two  as  by  six  weeks,  for  six  times  seven  is  forty-two, 
and  by  six  weeks  is  signified  wduit  is  complete  to  the  end ;  for 
the  number  six  has  this  signification,  and  a  week  signifies  state, 
and  the  seventh  week  a  holy  state,  which  is  a  new  state  of  the 

379 


t9C  THE   AT  3CALTPSE   REVEALED.  [Chap.  xi. 

chnrcli,  when  the  Lord  enters  upon  his  reign.  This  number 
lias  a  simihir  signification  in  the  following  passage :  "  And 
there  was  given  unto  the  beast  which  came  up  out  of  the  sea  a 
mouth  speaking  great  things  and  blasphemies,  and  power  was 
given  unto  him  to  continue yo?'ti/-two  vionths,^^  Apoc.  xiii.  5,  n. 
583.  The  reason  why  six  signifies  what  is  complete  to  the  end, 
is,  because  three  lias  that  signification,  n.  505,  and  six  is  double 
that  number,  and  a  number  doubled  has  the  same  signification 
as  the  simple  number ;  besides,  the  same  is  signified  by  this 
number  as  by  three  and  a  half,  because  forty-two  months  make 
three  years  and  a  half.  Months  are  mentioned  because  by  a 
month  is  signified  a  full  state ;  as  in  Isaiah  Ixvi.  23 ;  Apoc.  xxii. 
1,  2 ;  Gen.  xxix.  14  ;  Numb.  xi.  18—20 ;  Deut.  xxi.  11,  13. 

490.  A7id  I  will  give  unto  my  two  witnesses^  signifies  those 
who  confess  and  acknowledge  in  their  hearts  that  the  Lord  is 
the  God  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  that  his  Humanity  is  Divine, 
and  who  are  conjoined  to  him  by  a  life  according  to  the  pre- 
cepts of  the  decalogue.  The  reason  why  such  persons  are  here 
understood  by  the  two  witnesses,  is,  because  these  two  things 
constitute  the  two  essentials  of  the  New  Church.  That  the 
first  essential,  that  the  Lord  is  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth, 
and  that  his  Humanity  is  Divine,  is  a  testimony  or  witness,  and 
consequently,  tliat  they  are  witnesses  wdio  confess  and  acknow- 
ledge it  in  their  hearts,  may  be  seen,  n.  6,  846,  and  likewise 
from  the  following  passages:  "I  am  thy  fellow-servant,  of  thy 
brethren  that  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus  ^  for  the  testimony  of 
Jesus  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy ^^^  Apoc.  xix.  10.  The  angels  of 
Michael  overcame  the  dragon  hy  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  and  by 
the  WoQ'd  of  his  testimony :  and  the  dragon  "  went  to  make  war 
with  the  remnant  of  her  seed,  which  keep  the  commandments 
of  God,  and  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ^''  Apoc.  xii.  10. 
17.  "  The  souls  of  them  that  were  smitten  with  the  axe,  for 
the  testimony  of  Jesus,  and  for  the  Word  of  God,"  Apoc.  xx.  4 
these  are  they  who  have  acknowledged  the  Lord.  It  is  called 
the  testimony  of  Jesus,  because  the  Lord  testifies  it  from  his 
Word,  thus  from  himself,  therefore  he  himself  is  called  the 
faithful  and  true  witness,  Apoc.  i.  5  ;  iii.  14;  and  says,  I  testify 
of  myself,  and  my  testimony  is  true,  because  I  know  whence  1 
came,  and  whither  I  go,  John  viii.  14  ;  also,  "  When  the  Con.- 
forter  is  come,  even  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  he  shall  testify  of  me," 
John  XV.  26.  That  the  Comforter,  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  wdiich 
also  is  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  the  j^roceeding  Divinit}'^,  and  that 
this  is  the  Lord  himself,  may  be  seen  in  tlie  Doctrine  of  the  New 
Jerusalem  concerning  the  Lord,  n.  46 — 54.  Now  since  the  Lord 
himself  is  the  witness,  therefore  also  by  witnesses  are  meant 
they  who  testify  this  from  the  Lord,  as  did  John :  Jesus  said, 
"Ye  sent  unto  John,  and  he  bare  witness  unto  the  truth :  bnt  I 
receive  not  testimony  from  man,"  John  v.  33.  John  came  as  a 
380 


V.  2,  3.]  THE    APOCALYPSE    RKVEAT  FD.  491 

witness,  to  bear  witness  of  the  light;  he  was  not  tlic  light,  hut 
was  to  hear  w/t?iess  of  the  light.  The  Word  which  was  with 
God,  and  which  was  God,  was  the  true  light,  John  i.  1,  2,  and 
following  vei-ses,  14,  34.  That  the  other  essential  of  the  New 
Church,  which  is  conjunction  with  the  Lord  by  a  life  according 
to  the  precepts  of  the  decalogue,  is  a  testimony,  appears  from 
the  decalogue  being  called  the  testimony,  as  in  these  passages: 
"And  thou  shalt  put  into  the  ark  the  testimony  which  I  sliall 
give  thee,"  Exod.  xxv.  16.  Moses  put  the  testimo7}y  into  the 
ark,  Exod.  xl.  20.  The  mercy-scat  that  is  over  the  testimony, 
Levit.  xvi.  13.  Leave  the  rods  of  the  tribes  before  the  testi- 
mony,  Numb.  xvii. ;  besides  other  places,  as  in  Exod.  xxv.  22 ; 
xxxi.  7,  18;  xxxii.  15;  Psalm  Ixxviii.  5;  Psalm  cxxxii.  12. 
Something  must  here  be  said  concerning  conjunction  with  the 
Lord  by  a  life  according  to  the  precepts  of  tiie  decalogue.  There 
are  two  tables  upon  which  those  precepts  are  written,  one  for 
the  Lord,  the  other  for  man ;  what  the  first  table  contains,  is, 
that  a  plurality  of  gods  are  not  to  be  worshipped,  but  only  one ; 
and  the  second,  that  evils  are  not  to  be  committed  ;  therefore, 
when  one  God  is  worshipped,  and  man  does  not  commit  evils,  a 
conjunction  takes  place ;  for  in  proportion  as  man  desists  from 
evils,  that  is,  does  the  work  of  repentance,  in  the  same  propor- 
tion he  is  accepted  of  God,  and  does  good  from  him.  But  who 
now  is  this  one  God?  A  trine  or  triune  God  is  not  one  God, 
so  long  as  this  trine  and  triunity  exists  in  three  persons ;  but 
he,  in  whom  a  trine  or  triunity  exists  in  one  person,  is  one  God, 
and  that  God  is  the  Lord  ;  enter  into  whatever  intricacies  of 
thought  you  please,  yet  Avill  you  never  be  able  to  extricate 
yourself  and  make  out  that  God  is  one,  unless  he  is  also  one  in 
person.  Tiiat  this  is  the  casj^,  the  whole  Word  teaches,  both  in 
the  Old  Testament  and  Prophets,  and  in  the  New  Testament 
and  Evangelists,  as  may  be  clearly  seen  in  The  Doctrine  of  the 
New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Lord. 

491.  And  they  shall  prophesy  a  thousand  two  hundred  and 
sixty  days,  signifies  that  tliese  two  articles,  the  acknowledgment 
of  the  Lord,  and  a  life  according  to  the  commandments  of  the 
decalogue,  which  are  the  two  essentials  of  the  New  Church,  are 
to  be  taught  until  the  end  and  the  beginning.  That  these  two 
articles,  the  acknowledgment  of  the  Lord,  and  a  life  according 
to  the  commandments  of  the  decalogue,  are  the  two  essentials 
of  the  New  Church,  and  are  meant  by  the  two  witnesses,  may 
be  seen  above,  n.  490 ;  and  that  to  prophesy  signifies  to  teach, 
n.  8,  133.  By  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  days,  is 
signified  until  the  end  and  the  beginning,  that  is,  until  the  end 
of  the  former  church,  thus  the  beginning  of  the  New ;  the  rea- 
son why  this  is  signified  by  this  number,  is,  because  it  has  the 
game  signification  as  three  and  a  half,  and  by  three  and  a  half 
rs  signified  an  end  and  a  beginning,  n.  505;  it  has  the  same 
381 


492,  493  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Chap.  xi. 

signification  as  three  and  a  half,  because  the  number  one  thou- 
sand two  hundred  and  sixty,  when  reduced  into  years,  makes 
tliree  years  and  a  half.  The  like  is  signified  by  the  same  num- 
ber in  the  next  chapter:  "And  the  woman  fled  into  the  wil- 
derness, where  she  hath  a  place  prepared  of  God,  that  they 
should  feed  her  there  a  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  days^"^ 
Apoc.  xii.  6. 

492.  Clothed  in  sackcloth.,  signifies  lamentation  in  the  mean 
time  on  account  of  the  non-reception  of  truth.  By  being 
clothed  in  sackcloth  is  signified  lamentation  on  account  of  the 
devastation  of  truth  in  the  church  ;  for  garments  signify  truths, 
n.  166,  212,  318,  378,  379 :  therefore  to  be  clothed  'in  sack- 
cloth, which  is  not  a  garment,  signifies  lamentation  because 
there  is  no  truth,  and  where  there  is  no  truth  there  is  no  church. 
The  children  of  Israel  represented  lamentation  by  various 
things,  which,  from  correspondences,  were  significative,  as  by 
putting  ashes  on  the  head,  by  rolling  themselves  in  the  dust, 
by  sitting  a  long  time  silent  upon  the  ground,  by  shaving  them- 
selves, by  mourning  and  howding,  by  tearing  their  garments, 
and  also  by  putting  on  sackcloth,  besides  other  particulars ;  and 
each  of  these  signified  some  evil  of  the  church  among  them,  for 
which  they  were  punished  ;  and  when  they  were  punished,  they 
represented  repentance  by  such  things,  and  on  account  of  the 
representation  of  repentance,  and,  at  the  same  time,  of  humi- 
liation, they  were  heard.  That  lamentation^  on  account  of  the 
devastation  of  truth  in  the  church,  was  represented  by  putting 
on  sackcloth,  may  be  seen  from  the  following  passages :  "  The 
lion  is  come  up  from  his  thicket,  he  is  gone  forth  from  his  place 
to  make  thy  land  desolate ;  for  this  gird  you  with  sackcloth^ 
lament  and  howl,"  Jerem.  iv.  7,  8.  "  O  daughter  of  my  peo- 
ple, gii'd  thee  with  sachcloth^  and  wallow  thyself  in  ashes,  for  the 
spoiler  shall  suddenly  come  upon  us,"  Jerem.  vi.  26.  "  Woe 
unto  thee,  Chorazin  and  Bethsaida !  for  if  the  mighty  works 
which  have  been  done  in  you  had  been  done  in  Tyre  and  Sidon, 
they  would  have  repented  in  sackcloth  and  ashes,"  Matt.  xi.  21 ; 
Luke  X.  13.  The  king  of  Nineveh,  when  he  had  heard  the 
words  of  Jonah,  put  oflf  his  robe  from  him,  and  covered  him 
with  sackcloth.,  and  sat  in  ashes,  and  proclaimed  a  fast,  and  that 
man  and  beast  should  be  covered  with  sackcloth.,  Jonah  iii.  5, 
6,  8  ;  besides  other  places  ;  as  in  Isaiah  iii.  24  ;  xv.  2,  3  ;  xxii. 
12;  xxxvii.  1,  2 ;  1.  3;  Jerem.  xlviii.  37,  38;  xlix.  3;  Lament, 
ii.  10  ;  Ezek.  yii.  17,  18  ;  xxvii.  31 ;  Dan.  ix.  3  ;  Joel  i.  8,  13  ; 
Amos  viii.  10;  Job  xvi.  15,  16;  Psalm  xxx.  12;  Psalm  xxxv. 
13;  Psalm  Ixix.  11,  12;  2  Sam.  iii.  31;  1  Kings  xxi.  27;  2 
Kings  vi.  30 ;  xix.  1,  2. 

493.  These  are  the  two  olive  trees,  and  the  two  candlesticks., 
standing  hefore  the  God  of  the  earth,  signifies  love  and  intelli- 
gence, or  charity  and  faith,  both  from  the  Lord  with  them.   By 

382 


T.3,  4:.]     '      THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  493 

an  olive-tree  is  signified  love  and  oliai-ity,  as  will  be  seei  pres- 
ently ;  and  by  candlesticks  is  signified  illustration  in  truths,  n. 
43,  and  thence  intelligence  and  faith,  because  from  illustration 
in  truth  conies  intelligence,  and  from  intelligence  conies  faith. 
J3y  standing  before  God  is  signifiel  to  liear  and  do  his  com- 
mandments, n.  366,  here,  therefore,  that  these  two  are  with 
them  from  the  Lord,  who  is  the  God  of  the  earth,  that  is,  in 
those  who  are  principled  in  the  two  essentials  of  the  New 
Church  spoken  of  above;  from  wdiich  it  is  plain,  that  by  the 
two  witnesses  being  two  olive-trees  and  two  candlesticks,  is  sig- 
nified that  they  were  love  and  intelligence,  or  charity  and  faith, 
for  these  two  constitute  the  church ;  love  and  charity  its  life, 
and  intelligence  and  faith  its  doctrine.  An  olive  signifies  love 
and  charity,  because  the  olive-tree  signifies  the  celestial  church, 
and  thence  the  olive,  which  is  its  fruit,  signifies  celestial  love, 
which  love  is  love  to  the  Lord  ;  hence  it  is,  that  this  love  is  also 
signified  by  the  oil,  by  which  all  the  holy  things  of  the  church 
were  anointed:  the  oil,  which  was  called  the  oil  of  holiness,  was 
produced  from  olives  mixed  with  aromatics,  Exod.  xxx.  23 — 25; 
and  also  the  lamps  of  the  candlestick  in  the  tabernacle  were 
made  to  burn  every  evening  with  olive  oil,  Exod.  xxvii.  20,  21 ; 
Levit.  xxiv.  2.  An  olive-tree  and  olives  have  a  like  signilica- 
tion  in  Zechariah :  There  were  two  olive-ti'ees  by  the  candle- 
stick, one  upon  the  right  side  of  the  bowl,  and  the  other  upon 
the  left,  and  two  olive  berries :  these  are  the  two  sons  of  the 
olive-tree  standing  hefore  the  Lord  of  the  whole  earth,  iv.  3,  11, 
12,  14.  In  David :  "I  am  like  a  gi'een  olive-tree  in  tlie  house 
of  God,"  Psalm  lii.  8.  And  in  Jeremiah:  "Jehovah  called 
thy  name  a,  green  olive-tree  fair  and  of  goodly  fruit,"  xi.  16,  17; 
besides  other  places.  Since  Jerusalem  signified  the  church, 
therefore,  also,  many  things  that  were  in  and  about  it  signified 
such  things  as  pertain  to  the  church.  Near  it  was  also  the 
Mount  of  Olives,  which  signified  divine  love,  wherefore  Jesus  in 
the  day-time  was  teaching  in  the  temple,  and  at  night  he  went 
out,  and  abode  in  the  Mount  of  Olives,  Luke  xxi.  37;  xxii.  39; 
John  viii.  1.  And  Jesus  discoursed  with  his  disciples  on  that 
mount  concerning  the  end  of  the  world,  and  his  coming  at  that 
time.  Matt.  xxiv.  3,  and  following  verses ;  Mark  xiii.  3,  and 
following  verses.  And  went  likewise  from  that  mountain  to 
Jerusalem,  and  suffered.  Matt.  xxi.  1 ;  xxvi.  30 ;  Mark  xi.  1 ; 
xiv.  16  ;  Luke  xix.  26,  37;  and  this  according  to  the  prediction 
in  Zechariah :  His  feet  shall  stand  in  that  day  upon  the  Mount 
of  Olives,  which  is  before  Jerusalem  on  the  east,  xiv.  4.  Be- 
cause the  olive-tree  signified  the  celestial  principle  of  the  church, 
therefore  the  cherubs  in  the  midst  of  the  temple  of  Jerusalem 
"vvere  made  of  the  wood  of  the  olive-tree ;  in  like  maimer  the 
doors  of  the  entrance  to  the  oracle,  and  the  posts,  1  Kings  vi 
23—33. 
383 


4-94 — 496  THE    APOCALYPSE    KEVEALED.  [OJiap.   XI. 

494.  Atid  if  any  one  desi  e  to  hurt  them,  fire  shall  j^^'oceed 
out  of  their  mouth,  and  shall  devour  their  enemies,  signifies  thai 
the}^  who  desire  to  destroy  these  two  essentials  of  the  New 
Church  will  perish  from  infernal  love.  To  desire  to  hurt  the 
two  witnesses  signifies  a  desire  to  destroy  these  two  essentials 
of  the  ]^ew  Church,  which  are  the  acknowledgment  of  the  Lord 
as  being  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth  even  as  to  his  Humanity, 
and  a  life  according  to  the  commandments  of  the  decalogue ; 
that  these  are  the  witnesses,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  490.  Fire 
sliall  proceed  out  of  their  mouth,  signifies  infernal  love ;  and 
shall  devour  their  enemies,  signifies  that  they  who  hurt  them 
wnll  perish  by  that  love ;  but  it  is  not  here  to  be  understood 
that  fire  will  proceed  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  witnesses,  but  from 
those  who  desire  to  destroy  these  two  essentials  of  the  jSTew 
Church,  which  are  meant  by  the  witnesses,  n.  490.  Fire  is 
infernal  love;  for  he  who  does  not  live  according  to  the  com^ 
mandments  of  the  decalogue,  and  approach  to  God  the  Saviour 
and  Redeemer,  cannot  be  otherwise  than  in  infernal  love,  and 
perish.  This  is  similar  to  its  being  said,  in  other  parts  of  the 
Word,  that  fire  proceeds  from  Jeliovah  to  consume  the  wicked; 
and  that  Jehovah  acts  from  the  fire  of  his  wrath,  anger,  and 
fury ;  not  to  mention  other  expressions  of  a  like  kind,  by  which 
it  is  not  meant  that  this  comes  from  Jehovah,  but  from  the 
infernal  love  of  the  wicked.  Such  expressions  are  used  in  the 
Word,  because  they  are  appearances ;  the  Word,  in  its  literal 
sense,  being  written  according  to  correspondences  and  appear- 
ances. Since  it  is  said,  that  fire  should  proceed  out  of  their 
mouth,  and  that  thereby  it  is  to  be  understood  that  it  proceeds 
from  those  who  are  in  infernal  love,  some  passages  shall  be 
adduced  in  which  it  is  said  that  fire  comes  from  Jehovah:  The 
breath  of  Jehovah,  like  a  stream  of  hrimstone,  doth  kindle  it. 
Isaiah  xxx.  33.  Smoke  went  up  out  of  his  nostrils,  and  fire 
out  of  his  mouth,  coals  were  kindled  by  it,  Psalm  xviii.  9.  1 
will  pour  out  upon  them  the  indignation  of  mine  anger,  for  in 
\\\Qfire  of  my  zeal  shall  the  whole  earth  be  devoured,  Zeph.  iii. 
8.  "  Behold,  Jehovah  shall  come  in  fii^e,  to  render  his  anger 
with  fury,  and  his  rebuke  with  flames  of  fire,''''  Isaiah  Ixvi.  15. 
Thou  shalt  be  visited  by  Jehovah  in  a  flame  of  devouring  firey 
Isaiah  xxix.  6 ;  xxx.  30  ;  besides  many  others. 

495.  And  if  any  one  desire  to  hurt  them,  he  must  thus  he 
killed,  signifies  that  he  who  condemns  them  shall  in  like  man- 
ner be  condemned.  By  desiring  to  hurt  them  is  here  signified 
to  condemn,  because  it  follows  he  must  thus  be  killed,  and  by 
being  killed,  in  the  Word,  is  signified  to  be  killed  spiritually, 
which  is  to  be  condemned ;  for  the  Lord  says.  With  what  judg- 
ment ye  judge,  ye  shall  be  judged.  Matt.  vii.  1. 

496.  These  havejpower  to  shut  heaven,  that  the  rainfall  not 
in  tht  days  of  their ;prophecy,  signifies  that  they  who  reject  these 

384 


r.  5,  6. J  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  -1:97 

two  essentials,  cannot  receive  any  truth  from  heaven.  By  hea- 
ven is  here  meant  the  angelic  heaven  ;  consequently,  by  rain, 
the  truth  of  the  church  from  thence  is  signified  ;  wherefore,  by 
shutting  heaven  that  the  rain  fail  not,  is  signified  that  they  are 
not  able  to  receive  any  truth  of  the  church  from  heaven  ;  the 
truth  of  the  church  from  heaven  is  the  trutii  of  doctrine  from 
the  Word.  It  is  said  that  the  witnesses  liad  this  power,  l)ut  it 
is  to  be  understood  here  as  above,  n.  494,  that  they  have  not 
the  power  to  shut  heaven,  but  that  they  sliut  heaven  againsi 
themselves  who  reject  these  two  essentials  of  the  New  Clinrch, 
because  they  remain  in  their  own  falses.  That  rain  signifies 
divine  truth  from  heaven,  appears  from  these  passages :  "  My 
doctrine  shall  drop  as  the  rain,  my  speech  shall  distil  as  the 
dew,"  Deut.  xxxii.  2.  If  ye  serve  other  gods,  Jehovah  will 
shut  up  the  heaven,  that  there  be  no  rain,  Deut.  xi.  11,  14,  16, 
17.  I  will  lay  my  vineyard  waste,  and  "  I  will  command  the 
clouds,  that  they  rain  no  rain  upon  it,"  Isaiah  v.  6.  "There- 
fore the  showers  have  been  withholden,  and  there  hath  been  no 
latter  rain  /  and  thou  hadst  a  whore's  forehead,  thou  refusedst 
to  be  ashamed,"  Jerem.  iii.  3.  "  For  as  the  rain  cometh  down 
from  heaven,  so  shall  my  Word  be  that  goetli  forth  out  of  my 
mouth,"  Isaiah  Iv.  10,  11.  "  Ye  children  of  Zion  rejoice  and 
be  glad  in  Jehovah,  for  he  hath  given  you  the  former  rain 
moderately,"  Joel  ii.  23.  "Thou,  O  God,  didst  send  a  plenti- 
ful rain^''  Psalm  Ixviii,  9.  "  He  shall  come  down  like  rain  upon 
the  mown  grass,  in  his  days  shall  the  righteous  flourish,"  Psalm 
Ixxii.  6,  7.  "  Jehovah  shall  come  unto  us  as  the  rain,  as  the 
latter  and  former  rain  unto  the  earth,"  Ilosea  vi.  3.  "  My 
speech  dropped  upon  them,  and  they  waited  for  me  as  for  the 
rain,  and  they  opened  their  mouth  wide  as  for  the  latter  rain,''^ 
Job  xxix.  22,  23.  "  Son  of  man,  say  unto  her,  Thou  art  the 
land  that  is  not  cleansed,  nor  rained  upon  in  the  day  of  indig- 
nation, there  is  a  conspiracy  of  the  prophets  in  the  midst 
thereof,"  Ezek.  xxii.  24,  25  ;  besides  other  places ;  as  in  Isaiah 
XXX,  23  ;  Jerem.  v.  24  ;  x.  12, 13  ;  xiv.  3,  4 ;  li.  16  ;  Exek.  xxxiv. 
26,  27;  Amos  iv.  7,  8;  Zech.  x.  1;  Psalm  Ixv.  10,  11;  Psalm 
cxxxv.  7 ;  2  Sam.  xxiii.  3,  4.  An  inundating  rain  denotes  the 
devastation  of  truth,  Ezek.  xiii.  11,  13,  14 ;  xxxviii.  22 ;  and 
temptation.  Matt.  vii.  24 — 27. 

497.  Aiid  have  power  over  the  waters  to  turn  them  into 
blood,  signifies  that  they  who  reject  these  two  essentials  falsify 
the  truth  of  the  Word.  By  waters  are  signified  truths,  n.  50  ; 
and  by  blood,  the  falsification  of  the  truth  of  the  AVord,  n.  379; 
therefore,  by  turning  the  waters  into  blood  is  signified  to  falsify 
the  truths  of  the  Word.  This  is  to  be  understood  in  the  same 
manner  as  before,  namely,  that  they  who  reject  the  two  essen- 
tials of  the  New  Church  can  see  nothing  but  their  own  falses, 
385  2 


498 — 500  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Cliap.  XI, 

and,  if  they  confirm  tliese  by  the  "Word,  they  tlien  ftilsify  its 
truths. 

498.  A7id  to  smite  the  earth  with  every  plague  as  often  as  they 
will,  signifies  that  they  who  desire  to  destroy  these  two  essen- 
tials of  theKew  Church  will  plunge  tliemselves  into  all  kinds  of 
evils  and  falses,  as  often,  and  in  proportion,  as  they  do  so.  Ey 
the  earth  is  signified  the  church,  n.  285  ;  and  by  a  plague  is 
signified  evil  and  falsity,  n.  456  ;  hence  by  smiting  the  earth 
with  every  plague,  is  signified  to  destroy  the  church  by  all  kinds 
of  evils  and  falses.  But  this  passage  is  to  be  understood  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  former,  viz.,  that  they  who  desire  to  smite 
these  two  essentials  of  the  New  Church  with  a  plague,  that  is,  to 
destroy  them,  which  is  done  by  evil  through  falses,  Avill  plunge 
themselves  into  all  kinds  of  evils  and  falses ;  and  as  the  natural 
sense  is  thus  inverted  wdiile  it  is  spiritual,  therefore  also  this 
expression,  "  as  often  as  they  will,"  is  inverted  iti  like  manner 
into  this,  as  qfte?i,  and  i^i proportion,  as  they  do  this.  The  rea- 
son is,  because  in  proportion  as  any  one  destroys  these  two 
essentials,  in  the  same  proportioii  he  destroys  the  truths  of  the 
Word ;  and  so  far  as  he  destroys  the  truths  of  the  Word,  so  far 
he  plunges  himself  into  evils  and  falses  ;  for  these  two  essentials 
are  the  truths  of  the  Word,  as  may  appear  manifestly  irom  The 
two  Doctrines  of  the  New  Jerusalein  /  one  concerning  The  Lord, 
and  the  other  concerning  The  Doctrine  of  Life  from  the  Pre- 
cepts of  the  Decalogue.  This  passage,  which  asciubes  to  the  wit- 
nesses the  power  of  smiting  the  earth  with  every  plague  as  often 
as  they  will,  is  similar  to  ma.n}'^  others  in  the  Word,  which  attrib- 
ute to  Jehovah,  that  is,  to  the  Lord,  that  he  smites  men  with 
plagues,  and  that  such  is  his  will,  when  yet  it  must  be  under- 
stood that  he  neither  smites  them,  nor  is  it  his  will  to  do  so ;  as 
in  Zechariah :  "  And  this  shall  be  the  plague  wherewith  Jehovah 
will  smite  all  the  people  that  have  fought  against  Jerusalem," 
xiv.  12.  and  following  verses.  And  in  Jeremiah  :  "  I  have 
wounded  thee  with  the  wound  of  an  enemy,  with  the  chastise- 
ment of  a  cruel  one,  for  the  multitude  of  thine  iniquity,"  xxx. 
14 ;  likewise  in  many  other  places.     See  also  above,  n.  494. 

499.  And  when  they  shall  have  finished  their  testimony,  sig- 
nifies that  after  the  Lord  has  taught  that  he  is  the  God  of  hea- 
ven and  earth,  and  that  conjunction  is  formed  with  him  by  a 
life  according  to  the  precepts  of  the  decalogue.  When  they 
shall  have  finished,  signifies  after  the  Lord  has  taught;  the  two 
witnesses,  indeed,  taught,  yet  not  from  themselves,  but  from 
the  Lord.  That  testimony  signifies  these  two  essentials,  may 
be  seen  above,  n.  490. 

500.  The  heast  that  ascendeth  out  of  the  liottomless  pit  shall 
'  make  war  with  them,  and  shall  overcome  them,  and  kill  them, 

Bignifies  that  they  who  are  principled  in  the  internals  of  the 
386 


7.   6,  7.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  500 

doctrine  of  faith  alone  will  oppose  them,  and  assault  these  two 
essentials  of  the  New  Churcli,  and  will  reject  them,  and,  as  far 
as  lies  in  their  power,  will  cause  others  to  reject  them.  Bj  the 
beast  that  ascends  out  of  the  hottoniless  pit,  are  meant  they 
who  came  up  out  of  the  bottomless  pit,  and  a])peared  like  locusts, 
chap.  ix.  1 — 12.  That  these  were  they  who  are  in  the  inter- 
nals of  the  doctrine  of  faith  alone,  may  i)e  seen  in  the  explana- 
tion there  given ;  by  makins;  war  is  signified  to  oppose  and 
assault  these  two  essentials  of  the  church,  as  will  be  seen  pres- 
ently;  by  overcoming  and  killing  them  is  signified  to  reject 
aTid  extirpate  them  in  themselves,  and,  as  far  as  lies  in  their 
power,  to  cause  others  to  do  the  same.  The  reason  why  they 
who  are  principled  in  the  internals  of  the  doctrine  of  faith  alone 
will  impugn  and  reject  these  two  essentials,  is,  because  they 
have  confirmed  themselves  in  two  thing-s  diametrically  oppo- 
site to  them, — first,  that  it  is  not  the  Lord,  but  God  the  Father, 
who  is  to  be  approached  ;  and  secondly,  that  a  life  according  to 
the  precepts  of  the  decalogue  is  not  a  spiritual  life,  but  only  a 
moral  and  civil  life,  and  this  they  confirm,  that  no  one  may  be- 
lieve that  he  can  be  saved  by  works,  but  by  their  faith  alone. 
All  they  who  have  had  these  tenets  strongly  impressed  upon 
their  minds  in  schools  and  universities  do  not  recede  from  tliem 
afterwards;  and  that  for  these  three  several  reasons,  which  have 
not  been  made  known  till  now :  first,  because  they  have  entered, 
as  to  their  spirit,  into  association  with  their  life  in  the  spiritual 
world,  where  there  are  many  satans,  who  are  delighted  with 
nothing  but  falses,  from  whom  they  can  no  how  be  separated 
but  by  rejecting  those  falses  ;  nor  can  this  be  done  but  by  imme- 
diately aj)proachino;  God  the  Saviour,  and  beginning  a  Christian 
life  according  to  the  precepts  of  the  decalogue.  The  second 
reason  is,  because  they  believe  that  remission  of  sins,  and  con- 
sequent salvation,  may  take  place  in  a  moment  in  the  act  of 
faith,  and  afterwards  in  the  state  or  in  the  progression  by  the 
same  act  continued,  preserved,  and  retained,  from  the  Holy 
Spirit,  separate  from  the  exercises  of  charity ;  and  they  who 
have  once  imbibed  tliese  doctrines  afterwards  make  no  account 
of  sins  before  God,  and  so  live  in  their  uncleanness ;  and,  be- 
cause they  have  the  art  to  confirm  their  tenets  before  the  un- 
learned very  ingeniously  by  falsifications  of  the  Word,  and 
before  the  learned  by  much  sophistry,  it  is  here  said,  that  the 
beast  which  came  up  from  the  bottomless  pit  overcame  and 
killed  the  two  witnesses.  But  this  is  only  exhibited  among  such 
as  love  to  follow  their  own  incliiuitions,  bein<^  borne  along  by 
the  delights  of  their  lusts,  and  who,  while  thiiiking  about  salva- 
tion, nevertheless  cherish  those  lusts  in  their  hearts,  and  em- 
brace thoir  faith  with  both  hands,  seeing  that  they  may  be  saved 
by  uttering  certain  w  )rds  with  a  tone  of  confidence,  and  need 
not  attend  to  leading  a  life  for  the  sake  ol  God,  but  only  for 
387 


500  ■  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Chap.  xi. 

the  sake  of  tlie  world.  The  tliird  reason  is,  that  they  who,  in 
the  early  part  of  life,  have  imbibed  the  internals  of  that  faith 
which  are  called  the  mysteries  of  jiistiiication,  on  being  after- 
wards advanced  to  some  dignified  office  in  the  ministrj^,  do  not 
think  in  their  hearts  about  God  and  heaven,  but  about  them- 
selves and  the  world,  retaining  only  the  mysteries  of  their  faith 
for  the  sake  of  character,  that  they  may  be  honoured  as  wise 
men,  and  by  reason  of  their  wisdom,  be  thought  worthy  of  being 
rewarded  with  riches.  The  reason  why  this  is  an  effect  of  that 
faith,  is,  because  there  is  notliing  of  religion  in  it ;  as  may  be 
seen  by  a  reference  to  the  third  Memorable  Relation,  n.  484. 
That  by  wars,  in  the  Word,  are  signified  spiritual  wars,  which 
consist  in  impugning  truth,  and  are  conducted  by  reasonings 
from  falses,  is  evident  from  these  passages :  "  For  they  are  the 
spirits  of  devils  which  go  forth  to  gather  them  to  the  hattle  of 
that  great  day  of  God  Almighty,"  Apoc.  xvi.  14.  "  And  the 
dragon  was  wroth  with  the  woman,  and  went  to  make  war  with 
the  remnant  of  her  seed,  which  keep  the  commandments  of 
God,  and  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ,"  Apoc.  xii.  17. 
"  And  it  was  given  unto  the  beast  of  the  dragon  to  make  war 
with  the  saints,"  Apoc.  xiii.  7.  "  Prepare  ye  ivar  against  the 
daughter  of  Zion,  and  let  us  go  up  at  noon,"  Jerem.  vi.  3 — 5. 
"  Ye  have  not  gone  up  into  the  gaps — to  stand  in  the  hattle  in 
the  day  of  Jeliovah,"  Ezek.  xiii.  5.  "  In  Salem  also  is  the 
tabernacle  of  God,  and  his' dwelling-place  in  Zion,  there  brake 
he  the  arrows  of  the  bow,  and  the  hattle,''''  Psalm  Ixxvi.  2,  3. 
"  Jehovah  shall  go  forth  as  a  mighty  man,  he  shall  stir  up  his 
iealousy  like  a  man  of  war,''''  Isaiah  xiii.  13 ;  Psalm  xxiv.  8. 
in  that  day  Jehovah  shall  be  for  a  spirit  of  judgment  to  him 
that  sitteth  in  judgment,  and  for  strength  to  them  that  hattle 
to  the  gate,"  Isaiah  xxviii.  6.  "  Deliver  me  from  the  evil  man, 
preserve  me  from  the  violent  man ;  continually  are  they  gathered 
together  for  war  / — they  have  sharpened  their  tongues  like  a  ser- 
pent," Psalm  cxl.  1 — 3.  "  Many  shall  come  in  my  name,  say- 
ing, I  am  Christ,  and  shall  deceive  many,  and  ye  shall  hear  of 
roars  and  rumours  of  wars,  see  that  ye  be  not  troubled,"  Matt. 
xxiv.  6 — 8  ;  Mark  xiii.  7 — 9  ;  Luke  xxi.  9 — 11.  The  wars  of 
the  kings  of  the  north,  and  of  the  south,  and  others,  in  Daniel, 
chap.  X.  xi.  xii.,  signify  no  oth^-  than  spiritual  wars  •  besides 
the  wars  mentioned  in  other  places ;  as  in  Isaiah  ii.  3 — 5  ;  xiii. 
4 ;  xxi.  14,  15  ;  xxxi.  4 ;  Jerem.  xlix.  25,  26  ;  Hosea  ii.  18  ; 
Zech.  x,  5  ;  xiv.  3;  Psalm  xxxv.  3;  Psalm  xlvi.  9,  10.  Since 
by  wars,  in  the  Word,  are  signified  spiritual  wars,  therefore  the 
ministry  of  the  Levites  was  called  military  service,  as  appears 
from  its  being  commanded  that  the  Levites  should  be  numbered, 
to  perform  military  service,  to  do  M'ork  in  the  tabernacle  of  the 
congregation,  Numb.  iv.  23,  35,  39, 43,  47.  "  This  is  the  oflace 
of  the  Levites  to  war  in  military  service  of  the  tabernacle  of  the 
388 


▼.  7,  8.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  BEVEALED.  501 

congregation  ;  and  from  the  age  of  fifty  years  they  cease  waiting 
upon  the  military  service  of  the  tabernacle,  and  shall  serve  no 
more,"  Numb.  viii.  24,  25 ;  see  also  above,  n,  447,  where  it  is 
proved  from  the  Word  that  armies  signify  the  goods  and  truths 
of  the  church,  and,  in  the  o[)posite  sense,  its  evils  and  falses. 

501.  And  their  dead  bodies  shall  lie  in  the  street  of  the  great 
city^  signifies  that  the  two  essentials  of  the  New  Church  are 
totally  rejected  by  those  who  are  interiorly  principled  in  the 
falses  of  doctrine  concerning  justification  by  faith  alone.  By 
the  bodies  of  the  two  witnesses  are  signified  the  two  essentials 
of  the  New  Church,  which  are  the  acknowledgment  of  the  Lord 
as  the  only  God  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  that  there  is  conjunc- 
tion with  him  by  a  life  according  to  the  precepts  of  the  deca- 
logue, n.  590,  &c.  By  the  street  of  the  great  city  is  signified 
the  falsity  of  the  doctrine  concerning  justification  by  faith 
alone  ;  by  a  street  is  signified  falsity,  as  will  be  seen  presently; 
and  by  a  city  is  signified  doctrine,  n.  194.  It  is  called  a  great, 
city,  because  it  is  a  doctrine  which  prevails  throughout  the 
whole  reformed  Christian  world  among  the  clergy,  though  not 
in  the  same  way  among  the  laity.  By  streets,  in  the  Word, 
almost  the  same  is  signified  as  by  ways,  because  streets  are 
ways  in  a  city ;  but  still  by  streets  are  signified  the  truths  or 
falses  of  doctrine,  by  reason  that  a  city  signifies  doctrine,  n. 
194;  and  by  ways  are  signified  the  truths  or  falses  of  the 
church,  because  the  earth  signifies  the  church,  n.  285.  That 
streets  signify  truths  or  falses  of  doctrine,  may  be  seen  from 
the  following  passages:  "  And  judgment  is  turned  away  back- 
ward, and  justice  standeth  afar  oflf :  for  truth  is  fallen  in  the 
street^  and  equity  cannot  enter,"  Isaiah  lix.  14.  "  The  chariots 
shall  rage  in  the  streets,  they  shall  justle  one  against  another  in 
the  hroad  ways^''  Nahum  ii.  4,  In  the  days  of  Jael  the  loays 
ceased,  the  streets  ceased  in  Israel,  Judges  v.  6,  7.  "  How  is 
the  city  of  praise  not  left — therefore  her  young  men  shall  fall 
in  the  streets,''  Jerem.  xlix.  25,  26  ;  1.  30.  "They  that  did  feed 
delicately  are  desolate  in  the  streets.  Their  visage  is  blacker 
than  a  coal,  they  are  not  known  in  the  streets.  They  have  wan- 
dered as  blind  men  in  the  streets.  They  hunt  our  steps,  that 
we  cannot  go  in  our  streets,""  Lament,  iv.  5,  8, 14, 18.  "  I  have 
cut  ofl:'  the  nations,  their  towers  are  desolate,  I  made  their 
itreets  waste,"  Zeph.  iii.  6.  Afterwards  in  sixty-two  weeks  the 
streets  of  Jerusalem  "  shall  be  built  again  even  in  troublous 
times,"  Dan.  ix.  25.  "The  street  of  the  city  Jerusalem  was 
pure  gold,  as  it  were  transparent  glass,"  Apoc.  xxi.  21.  "  In 
the  midst  of  the  street  of  it,  the  tree  of  life  bearing  twelve 
fruits,"  Apoc.  xxii.  1,2;  besides  other  places ;  as  in  Isaiah  xv. 
3 ;  xxiv.  10,  11  ;  li.  20  ;  Jerem.  v.  1 ;  vi.  16 ;  vii.  17 ;  ix.  21 ; 
xi.  13;  xvi.  24,  25,  31  ;  xliv.  18 ;  xlv.  9 ;  Lament,  ii.  11,  19 ; 
Ezek.  xi.  6 ;  xxvi.  11, 12  ;  Amos  v.  16  ;  Zech.  viii.  3 — 5 ;  Bsalia 
389 


602  •  THE   APOCALYPSE   KEVEALED.  [Cliap. 

cxliv.  13 ;  Job  xviii.  17.  Since  streets  signify  the  truths  a 
doctrine  of  the  church,  therefore  it  was  the  custom  to  teach  iij 
tlie  streets,  2  Sam.  i.  20.  And  it  is  said,  "  We  have  eaten  and 
drunk  in  thy  presence,  and  thou  hast  taught  in  our  streets,^' 
Luke  xiii.  26;  and,  therefore,  hypocrites  prayed  in  the  cor- 
ners of  the  streets,  Matt.  vi.  3,  5 ;  and  the  master  of  the  house 
commanded  his  servants  to  go  into  the  streets  and  lanes,  and 
bring  in  guests,  Luke  xiv.  21.  "  For  the  same  reason,  also, 
what  is  false  and  falsified  is  called  mire,  dirt,  and  dung,  of  the 
streets,  Isaiah  v.  25;  x.  6  ;  Micah  vii.  10;  Psalm  xviii.  42. 
That  the  prophets  who  prophesied  what  was  false,  should  be 
cast  out  into  the  streets  of  Jerusalem,  and  have  none  to  bury 
them,  Jerem.  xiv.  16. 

502.  Which  spiritually  is  called  Sodom  and  Egypt,  signifies 
two  infernal  loves,  which  are  the  love  of  dominion  grounded  in 
self-love,  and  the  love  of  rule  grounded  in  the  pride  of  self-, 
derived  intelligence,  which  exist  in  the  church  where  one  God 
is  not  acknowledged,  and  the  Lord  is  not  worshipped,  and  where 
they  do  not  live  according  to  the  commandments  of  the  deca- 
logue. By  Sodom,  in  the  spiritual  sense,  is  signified  the  love 
of  dominion  grounded  in  self-love,  as  will  be  seen  presently ;  and 
by  Egypt,  in  the  spiritual  sense,  is  signified  the  love  of  rule 
grounded  in  the  pride  of  self-derived  intelligence,  which,  also, 
will  be  spoken  of  presently  ;  and  because  these  two  loves  are 
signified,  therefore  it  is  spiritually  called  Sodom  and  Egypt. 
The  reason  why  these  loves  prevail  in  the  church  where  one  God 
is  not  acknowledged,  and  the  Lord  is  not  worshipped,  and  where 
they  do  not  live  according  to  the  precepts  of  the  decalogue,  is, 
because  man  is  born  into  those  two  loves,  and  comes  into  them 
as  he  grows  up,  and  those  loves  cannot  be  removed  but  by  God 
the  Savioui*,  and  by  a  life  according  to  his  commandments  ;  and 
they  cannot  be  removed  by  God  the  Saviour,  unless  he  is  ap- 
proached :  nor  is  a  life  according  to  his  commandments  possible, 
unless  man  is  led  by  him  ;  it  is  possible  indeed  to  live  according 
to  the  commandments,  but  not  to  live  a  life  in  which  there  is 
any  thing  of  heaven  and  thence  of  the  church.  Such  a  life  can 
only  be  given  by  him  who  is  the  life  ;  that  the  Lord  is  that  life, 
may  be  seen  in  John  i.  1,  4 ;  v.  26  ;  vi.  33 — 35,  and  subsequent 
verses ;  xi.  25,  26  ;  xiv.  6, 19  ;  and  in  many  other  places.  That 
the  love  of  dominion  grounded  in  self-love,  and  the  love  of  rule 
grounded  in  the  pride  of  self-derived  intelligence,  are  the  heads 
or  sources  of  all  infernal  loves,  and  thus  of  all  evils  and  of  the 
falses  resulting  therefrom  in  the  church,  is  unknown  at  this 
day ;  the  delights  of  those  loves,  which  surpass  the  delights  of 
all  the  pleasures  of  the  mind,  are  the  causes  of  its  not  being 
known,  when  yet,  spiritually,  they  are  Sodom  and  Egypt,  That 
Sodom  is  the  love  of  dominion  grounded  in  self-love,  may  appear 
fj-om  the  description  of  Sodom  in  Moses,  in  that  they  wanted  to 
390 


V.  8. J  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED  503 

do  violence  to  the  angels  who  came  into  Lot's  house;  and  in 
tliat  fire  and  sulphur  rained  upon  them  out  of  heaven.  Gen.  xix. 
1,  and  following  verses.  By  lire  and  sulphur,  that  love  with  its 
concupiscences  is  signified,  I  saw  the  like  things  happen  when 
tlie  cities  and  societies  of  such  persons  were  overthrown  in  the 
day  of  the  last  judgment,  and  their  inhabitants  cast  into  hell. 
Tliese  loves  and  their  evils  are  signified  by  Sodom  and  Gomor- 
rah, in  these  places  :  Isaiah  i.  10  ;  iii.  8,  9,  19  ;  .Terem.  xxiii.  14; 
xlix.  18;  1.  37,  40;  Lament,  iv.  6;  Ezek.  xvi,  46 — 50;  Amos 
iv.  11  ;  Zeph.  ii.  9,  10;  Deut.  xxix.  23;  xxxii.  32  ;  Matt.  x.  14, 
15;  xi.  23;  Mark  vi.  11  ;  Luke  x.  10,  11,  13;  xvii.  28,  29. 
That  this  love  is  signified  by  Sodom,  is  not  known  in  thcAvorld  ; 
but  keep  this  in  mind  and  remember  it  when  you  enter  into  the 
world  (.)f  spirits,  as  you  will  do  after  deatli,  and  you  will  be  fully 
convinced  of  it.  But  it  is  to  be  observed,  that  there  is  a  love  of 
dominion  grounded  in  self-love,  and  a  love  of  dominion  grounded 
in  the  love  of  uses ;  the  latter  is  celestial,  but  the  former  infer- 
nal ;  therefore  when  one  constitutes  the  head,  the  other  consti- 
tutes the  feet,  that  is,  when  the  love  of  dominion  grounded  in 
self-love  constitutes  the  head,  then  the  love  of  dominion  grounded 
in  the  love  of  uses,  which  is  also  the  love  of  serving  one's  neigh- 
bour from  the  Lord,  at  first  constitutes  the  feet,  afterwards  the 
soles  of  the  feet,  and,  lastly,  is  trodden  under  foot ;  but  when 
the  love  of  dominion  grounded  in  the  love  of  uses,  which,  as 
was  said,  is  a  celestial  love,  constitutes  the  head,  then  the  love 
of  dominion  grounded  in  self-love,  which,  as  was  observed,  is  an 
infernal  love,  at  first  constitutes  the  feet,  afterwards  the  soles  of 
the  feet,  and,  finally,  is  trodden  under  foot.  These  two  loves, 
however,  are  with  difficulty  distinguished  by  man  in  this  world, 
because  their  external  forms  are  alike  ;  yet  they  may  be  distin- 
guished by  this  circumstance,  viz.,  that  the  above  celestial  love 
dwells  in  those  who  approach  the  Lord,  and  live  according  to 
the  commandments  of  the  decalogue  ;  and  that  the  above  infer- 
nal love  dwells  in  those  who  do  not  approach  the  Lord,  nor  live 
according  to  the  commandments  of  tlie  decalogue. 

503.  We  shall  now  proceed  to  explain  what  is  signified  by 
Egypt  in  the  Word.  Egypt  signifies  the  natural  man  in  con- 
junction with  the  spiritual,  and  thus  the  affection  of  truth  and 
thence  science  and  intelligence ;  but,  in  the  opposite  sense,  it 
signifies  the  natural  man  separated  from  the  spiritual,  and,  in 
that  case,  the  pride  of  self-derived  intelligence,  and  consequent 
insanity  in  spiritual  things.  Egypt  signifies  the  natural  man  in 
conjunction  with  the  spiritual,  and  thus  the  affection  of  truth, 
and  thence  science  and  intelligence,  in  the  following  ])assages  : 
"In  that  day  shall  five  cities  in  the  land  oi Egypt  swear  to  Je- 
hovah of  hosts.  In  tl  at  day  sluiU  there  be  an  altar  to  Jehovah 
in  the  midst  of  the  land  of  Egypt  /  then  shall  Jehovah  be  known 
to  Egupt^  and  the  Egyptians  sliall  know  Jehovah  in  that  day," 
391 


503  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         [Chap.  XI. 

Isa'ali  xix.  17 — 21,  "In  that  day  shall  there  be  a  highway 
out  of  Egypt  to  Assyria^  and  the  Egyptians  shall  serve  with  the 
Assyrians.  In  that  day  shall  Israel  be  the  third  with  Egypt  and 
Assyria,  a  blessing  in  the  midst  of  the  land  ;  whom  Jehovah  of 
hosts  shall  bless,  saying,  Blessed  be  Egypt  my  people,  and  Assy- 
ria the  work  of  my  hands,  and  Israel  mine  inheritance,"  Isaiah 
xix.  23 — 25.  Egypt  there  is  the  natural  degree,  Assyria  is  the 
rational  degree,  and  Israel  is  the  spiritual  degree,  and  these 
three  constitute  a  man  of  the  church.  Hence  the  king  of  Egypt 
was  called  the  son  of  the  wise,  the  son  of  ancient  kings ;  and 
Egypt  was  called  the  stay  of  the  tribes,  Isaiah  xix.  11, 13 :  and 
it  is  said  of  Solomon,  that  his  wisdom  excelled  the  wisdom  of 
the  Egyptians,  1  Kings  iv.  30  ;  and,  that  "  he  took  PhaTaolCa 
daughter  to  wife,  and  brought  her  into  the  city  of  David,"  1 
Kings  iii.  1.  And  that  he  built  PharaolCs  daughter  a  house 
beside  the  porch,  1  Kings  vii.  8.  For  the  same  reason,  also, 
Joseph  was  carried  into  Egypt,  and  was  there  made  governor 
over  all  the  land,  Gen.  xli.  Since  Egypt  signified  the  natu- 
ral man  as  to  the  affection  of  truth  and  thence  science  and 
intelligence,  therefore  Joseph  the  husband  of  Mary,  being 
warned  of  an  angel,  departed  into  Egypt  with  the  Lord  who  was 
then  an  infant.  Matt.  i.  14,  15  ;  according  to  the  prediction, 
"  When  Israel  was  a  child  then  I  loved  him,  and  called  my  Son 
out  oi Egypt,^^  Hosea  xi.  1.  "Thou  hast  caused  a  vine  to  come 
out  of  Egypt,  thou  hast  planted  it,  and  didst  cause  it  to  take 
deep  root,"  Psalm  Ixxx.  8,  9  ;  for  man  is  born  natural,  becomes 
rational,  and  afterwards  sjjiritual,  thus  is  the  vine  out  of  Egypt 
planted  and  made  to  take  root.  For  the  sake  of  this  represen- 
tation, Abraham  also  journeyed  into  Egypt,  Gen.  xii.  10,  and 
following  verses.  And  Jacob  was  commanded  to  go  with  his 
sons  into  Egypt,  and  also  abode  there,  Gen.  xlvi.  and  following 
chapters.  Thence,  also,  the  land  of  Canaan,  by  which  the 
church  is  signified,  is  described  as  extending  as  far  as  the  river 
oi  Egypt,  Gen.  xv.  18  ;  1  Kings  ii.  17, 18  ;  Micah  vii.  12.  And 
Egypt  is  compared  to  the  garden  of  Eden,  the  garden  of  God, 
Ezek.  xxxi.  2,  8;  Gen.  xiii.  10.  And  the  sciences  of  the  natu- 
ral man  are  called  the  desirable  things  of  Egypt,  Dan.  xi.  43. 
And  fine  embroidered  linen  from  Egypt,  Ezok.  xxvii.  7 :  besides 
other  passages,  where  Egypt  is  favourably  spoken  of;  as  in 
Isaiah  xlvi.  11, 12  ;  Ezek.  xxix.  13 — 16  ;  xxxi.  1 — 8  ;  Hosea  xi. 
11  ;  Zech.  x.  11 ;  xiv.  16—18;  Psr.lm  Ixviii.  31,  32;  2  Kings 
xvii.  36.  But  Egypt,  in  the  opposite  sense,  signifies  the  natu- 
ral man  separated  from  the  spiritual,  and  thus  the  pride  of  self- 
derived  intelligence,  and  thence  insanity  in  spiritual  things,  in 
these  places  :  Because  the  heart  of  Pharaoh  "  is  lifted  up  in  his 
height,  and  he  hath  shot  up  his  top  among  the  thick  boughs, 
strangers  shall  cut  him  oil',  and  cast  him  forth.  In  the  day 
when  he  went  down  to  the  grave,  I  covered  the  deep  over  him, 
392 


r.  8.1  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  503 

tliou  slialt  He  in  the  uiid^t  of  tlie  uncircnmcised,  Ezek.  xxxi, 
10 — 18.  "  The  foundations  oX  Egypt  shall  be  overthrown  ;  the 
pride  of  his  strength  shall  come  down,  and  his  cities  shall  be 
laid  waste  in  the  midst  of  the  desolate  cities  :  I  will  send  lire 
upon  E<jij2)t^  and  I  will  disperse  Egyj^t  among  the  nations,  and 
will  scatter  them  over  the  earth,"  Ezek.  xxx.  1,  to  the  end. 
"■  Woe  to  them  that  go  down  to  Egypt  for  help,  and  look  not 
unto  the  Holy  One  of  Israel ;  now  the  Egyptians  are  men  and 
not  God,  and  their  horses  flesh,  and  not  spirit,"  Isaiah  xxxi.  1, 
3.  "  Egypt  riseth  up  as  a  flood,  he  saith,  I  will  go  up,  I  will 
cover  the  earth,  and  destroy  the  city  :  come  up,  ye  horses,  rage 
ye  chariots,  the  sword  shall  devour  you,  and  shall  be  made  drunk 
with  blood,  for  thou  shalt  not  be  cured,"  Jerem.  xlvi.  2,  7,  8,  9. 
How  say  ye  unto  l*Jairaoh,  I  am  the  son  of  the  wise,  and  the 
son  of  ancient  kings  ;  where  now  are  thy  wise  men,  let  them 
tell  thee ;  the  princes  of  Zoan  are  become  fools,  they  have 
seduced  Egypt^  the  corner-stone  of  the  tribes  ;  there  shall  be 
unto  Egypt  no  work  that  may  make  head  and  tail,  Isaiah  xix. 
1 — 17.  rrophesy  against  Egypt;  "the  great  dragon,  which 
lieth  in  the  midst  of  liis  rivers ;  for  he  hath  said,  The  river  is 
mine,  and  I  have  made  it  for  myself,  therefore  wib  I  put  hooks 
in  thy  jaws ;  and  I  will  cause  the  flsh  of  thy  rivers  to  stick  to 
thy  scales,  and  I  will  leave  tliee  in  the  wilderness :  and  there- 
fore shall  the  land  of  Egypt  be  desolate  and  waste,"  Ezek.  xxix. 
1 — 12 :  besides  other  places  ;  as  in  Isaiah  xxx.  1,7;  Jerem  ii. 
17,  18,  36;  xlii.  13—18;  Ezek.  xvi.  26,  28,  29;  xxiii.  2—33; 
Hosea  vii.  11,  13,  16 ;  ix.  1,  3,  6  ;  xi.  5  ;  xii.  1,  2  ;  Joel  iii.  19 ; 
Lament,  v.  2,  4,  6,  8  ;  Dent.  xvii.  16 ;  1  Kings  xiv.  25,  26  ;  2 
Kings  xviii.  21.  Because  the  Egyptians  were  of  such  a  character, 
therefore  they  were  deprived  of  all  the  goods  and  truths  of  the 
church  ;  their  devastations  are  described  by  the  miracles  per- 
formed there,  which  were  plagues,  and  signilied  so  many  lusts 
of  the  natural  man  separated  from  the  spiritual,  which  acts 
solely  from  self-derived  intelligence  and  the  pride  thereof;  the 
plagues  significative  of  his  lusts  were.  That  the  %oaters  in  the 
river  were  turned  into  blood,  insomuch  that  the  fish  died,  and 
the  river  stank,  Exod.  vii.  That  from  the  rivers  and  lakes 
frogs  were  produced  over  the  land  <^ii  Egyp>t.  That  the  dust  of 
the  earth  was  turned  into  lice.  That  swarms  of  noxious  flies 
were  sent,  Exod.  viii.  That  hoils  breaking  forth  with  blains 
were  brought  upon  man  and  beast.  That  it  rained  hail  niin- 
gled  with  fire,  Exod.  ix.  That  locusts  were  sent.  Tiiat  there 
was  darkness  in  all  the  land  of  Egypt,  Exod.  x.  That  all  the 
first-horn  in  the  land  of  Egypt  died,  chap.  xi.  And,  finally, 
That  the  Egyptians  were  d roamed  in  the  Red  Sea,  Exod.  xiv. ; 
by  which  hell  is  signified.  AVhat  these  things  specifically  sig- 
nify, may  be  seen  in  The  Arcana  Coelestia,  where  they  are 
explained.  Hence  it  is  evident,  what  is  meant  by  ilia  play  ue8 
393 


504,  505  THE    APOCALYPSE   REVEALED,  [Chap.  xi. 

and  diseases  of  Egypt ^  Deut.  vii.  15  ;  xxviii.  60  ;  Arhat  by  being 
drowned  hy  the  flood  of  Egypt  ^  Amos  viii.  8 ;  ix,  5  ;  and  whence 
it  is  that  Egypt  is  called  the  land  of  bondage,  Mieah  vi.  4 ;  the 
land  of  Ham,  Psalm  cvi.  22 ;  also  the  iron  furnace,  Deut.  iv.  20  ; 
1  Kings  viii.  51.  The  reason  why  Egypt  should  signify  not 
onl}'' intelligence  but  also  insanity  in  spiritual  things,  is,  because 
the  Ancient  Cliurch,  which  extended  through  several  kingdoms 
of  Asia,  was  established  also  in  Eyypt,  at  which  time  the  Egyp- 
tians excelled  all  others  in  cultivating  the  science  of  correspond- 
ences between  spiritual  things  and  natural,  as  appears  from 
their  hieroglyphics  ;  but  when  that  science  was  turned  by  them 
into  magic,  and  became  a  foundation  for  idolatry,  then  their 
intelligence  in  things  spiritual  turned  into  insanity  ;  for  which 
reason,  Egypt,  in  the  opposite  sense,  signifies  such  insanity. 
From  what  has  been  said,  it  may  now  be  seen,  what  is  meant 
by  the  great  city  which  is  spiritually  called  Sodom  and  Egypt. 

504.  Where  also  our  Lord  was  crucified,  signifies  non- 
acknowledgment  of  the  Lord's  Divine  Humanity,  and,  conse- 
quently, a  state  of  rejection.  It  is  said  in  the  church,  that  they 
crucify  the  Lord  who  blasheme  him  ;  as  do  those  also,  wdio, 
like  the  Jews,  denj'  his  being  the  Son  of  God.  The  reason  why 
they  who  deny  the  Lord's  Humanity  to  be  Divine  are  like  the 
Jews,  is,  because  every  man  considers  the  Lord  as  a  man,  and 
he  who  considers  his  Humanity  as  upon  a  level  with  that  of 
another  man  cannot  at  the  same  time  think  of  his  Divinity, 
howsoever  he  may  call  his  Humanity  the  Son  of  God  born  from 
eternity,  and  equal  with  the  Divinity  of  the  Father.  When  it 
is  spoken  and  read,  it  is  heard  indeed,  but  still  it  is  not  at  the 
same  time  believed  ;  when  the  Lord  is  thought  of  as  a  material 
man  like  any  other  man,  and  retaining  the  like  jjroperties  of 
the  flesh,  and  as,  in  such  case,  his  Divinity  is  removed  and  not 
regarded,  therefore  the  same  state  is  induced  as  if  it  were  denied, 
for  it  is  a  denial  of  his  Humanit}'  being  the  Son  of  God,  like 
that  of  the  Jews,  for  which  reason  they  crucified  him.  That  the 
Lord's  Humanity  is  nevertheless  the  Son  of  God,  is  expressly 
said  in  Luke  i.  32,  35 ;  Matt.  iii.  16,  17 ;  and  in  other  places. 
From  these  considerations  it  appears,  why  the  men  of  the 
church  approach  God  the  Father  immediately,  and  many  also 
the  Holy  Spirit  immediately,  but  scarcely  any  one  the  Lord 
directly.  Since  the  Jews,  from  a  denial  that  the  Lord  was  the 
Messiah,  the  Son  of  God,  crucified  him,*  therefore  their  Jeru- 
salem is  also  called  Sodom,  Isaiah  iii.  9  ;  Jerem.  xxiii.  14;  Ezek. 
xvi.  46,  48.  And  the  Lord  says,  "  On  the  same  day  that  Lot 
went  out  of  Sodom,  it  rained  fire  and  brimst»»3ne  from  heaven, 
and  destroyed  them  all ;  even  thus  shall  it  be  in  the  day  when 
the  Son  of  Man  is  revealed,"  Luke  xvii.  29,  30.  What  is  meant 
by  fire  and  brimstone  may  be  seen  above,  n.  452,  494. 

505.  And  they  of  the  peoples^  and  tribes^  and  tongues^  ana 
394 


r.  8.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED  505 

nations^  shall  see  their  dead  bodies  three  days  and  a  half^  signi- 
ties  that^^-llen  all  they  who,  until  the  end  of  the  present  church 
and  the  beginning  of  the  New  Church,  i^ave  been  and  will  be  in 
falses  of  doctrine  and  evils  of  life  from  faith  alone,  have  heard 
and  shall  hear  of  these  two  essentials,  which  are  the  acknow- 
ledgment of  the  Lord  and  of  works  according  to  the  decalogue. 
By  peoples,  and  tribes,  and  tongues,  and  nations,  are  meant  all 
of  the  reformed  who  have  been  and  shall  be  in  falses  of  doctrine, 
and  thus  in  evils  of-  life  from  faith  alone ;  by  peoples  are  signi- 
fied those  who  are  in  falses  of  doctrine,  n.  483  ;  by  tribes,  falses 
and  evils  of  the  church,  n.  349  ;  by  tongues,  confession  and 
reception  thereof,  n.  483  ;  and  by  nations,  tliose  who  are  in  evils 
of  life,  n.  483.  Therefore,  by  these  four  are  signified  all  and 
ever}'  one  who  have  been  and  who  will  be  such,  thus  all  they  who 
have  been  in  that  great  city,  and  they  that  are  like  imto  them, 
who  will  thenceforth  come  there  out  of  the  world.  By  their 
bodies,  or  those  of  the  two  witnesses,  are  signified  the  two  essen- 
tials of  the  New  Church  above  mentioned,  n.  501 ;  by  seeing 
them  is  signified  when  they  have  heard  and  shall  hear  of  them, 
because  to  see  is  said  of  their  bodies,  and  to  hear,  of  these  two 
essentials ;  by  three  days  and  a  half  is  signified  to  the  end  and 
beginning,  that  is,  to  the  end  of  the  present  church  and  the 
beginning  of  the  new.  Now  from  collating  wliat  has  been  said 
into  one  sense,  it  is  evident,  that  by  these  words,  "  They  of  the 
peoples,  and  tribes,  and  tongues,  and  nations,  shall  see  theii 
bodies  three  days  and  a  half,"  the  things  above  mentioned  are 
signified  in  a  spiritual  sense.  The  reason  why  three  days  and  a 
half  signify  to  the  end  and  beginning,  is,  because  day  signifies 
state  ;  the  number  three,  what  is  complete  to  the  end ;  and  a 
half,  the  beginning ;  for  the  same  is  signified  by  three  days  and 
a  half  as  by  a  week,  six  days  of  which  signify  what  is  complete 
to  the  end,  and  the  seventh  day  signifies  what  is  holy ;  for  the 
number  3|  is  half  of  the  number  7,  which  makes  a  week,  and 
a  double  number,  and  the  divided  number  of  which  it  consists, 
signify  the  same  thing.  That  three  signifies  a  completion,  thus 
to  the  end,  may  be  seen  from  these  passages  in  the  Word  : 
That  "  Isaiah  walked  naked  and  barefoot  three  years^''  Isaiah 
XX.  3.  That  Jehovah  called  Samuel  three  times^  and  Samuel 
ran  three  times  to  Eli,  and  that  the  third  time  EH  understood, 
1  Sam.  iii.  1 — 8.  That  Elijah  stretched  himself  three  times 
over  the  widow's  son,  1  Kings  xvii.  21.  That  Elijah  com- 
manded them  to  throw  water  upon-  the  burnt-oficring  three 
times,  1  Kings  xviii.  34.  That  Jesus  said,  "The  kingdom  of 
heaven  is  like  unto  leaven,  which  a  woman  took,  an<l  liid  in 
three  measures  of  meal,  till  the  whole  was  leavened,"  Matt.  xiii. 
33.  That  Jesus  said  unto  Peter,  that  he  should  deny  him 
thrice,  Matt.  xxvi.  34.  That  the  Lord  asked  Peter  thrice^ 
"  Lovest  thou  me  ?"  John  xxi.  15 — 17.  That  "  Jonah  was  in 
395 


506,  507  THE    APOCALYPSE   EEVEALED.  [Cliap.  xi, 

the  belly  of  tlie  fisli  three  days  and  three  nights^''  Jonah  i.  17. 
That  Jesus  said  the  temjjle  should  be  destroyed,  and  that  he 
would  build  it  up  again  in  three  days,  Matt.  xxvi.  6.  That 
Jesus  prayed  three  times  in  Gethseniane,  Matt.  xxvi.  39 — 44. 
That  Jesus  rose  again  on  the  third  day,  Matt,  xxviii.  1 :  besides 
many  others  ;  as  in  Isaiah  xvi.  14  ;  ITosea  vi.  2  ;  Exod.  iii.  18  ; 
X.  22,  23  ;  xix.  1,  11,  15,  16,  18 ;  Levit.  xix.  23—25  ;  Numb, 
xix.  12,  to  the  end  ;  xxxi.  19 — 25  ;  Deut.  xx.  2 — 4  ;  xxvi.  12  ; 
Joshua  i.  11  ;  iii.  2  ;  1  Sam.  xx.  5,  12,  19,  20,  35,  36,  41  ;  2 
Sam.  xxiv.  11 — 13  ;  Dan.  x.  2—4  ;  Mark  xii.  2,  4,  5,  6  ;  Luke 
XX.  12, 18  ;  xiii.  32,  33.  Seven,  as  well  as  three,  signifies  what 
is  full  and  complete  ;  but  seven  is  said  of  things  holy,  and  three 
of  things  not  holy. 

506.  And  shall  not  suffer  their  dead  lodies  to  he  put  into 
monuments,  signifies  that  they  condemned  and  w^ill  condemn 
them.  By  bodies  are  here  signified  the  two  essentials  of  the  New 
Church,  of  which  above,  n.  505  ;  and  by  not  suffering  them  to 
be  put  into  monuments,  is  signified  to  reject  them  as  condemned. 
This  is  signified,  because  by  being  put  into  monuments,  or 
buried,  is  signified  resurrection  and  continuation  of  life,  for 
then  those  things  are  committed  to  the  earth  which  are  from 
the  earth,  thus  which  are  earthly  and  thence  unclean  ;  there- 
fore by  not  being  put  into  monuments,  or  not  being  buried,  is 
signified  to  continue  in  things  earthly  and  unclean,  and  for  that 
reason  to  be  rejected  as  damned.  It  was  on  this  account 
that-  in  the  church  established  among  the  sons  of  Israel,  which 
was  a  representative  church,  it  was  instituted,  that  they  who 
were  considered  as  damned,  should  be  cast  forth  and  not  buried, 
as  is  evident  from  these  words  :  Thus  saith  Jehovah  concerning 
them,  "  they  shall  die  of  grievous  deaths,  they  shall  not  be  la- 
mented ;  neither  shall  they  be  buried^'  they  shall  be  as  dung 
upon  the  face  of  the  earth  : — and  their  carcasses  shall  be  meat 
for  the  fowls  of  heaven,  and  for  the  beasts  of  the  earth,"  Jerem. 
xvi.  3,  4.  The  prophets  that  prophesy  a  lie  "  shall  be  cast  out 
in  the  streets  of  Jerusalem,  and  shall  have  none  to  hury  them," 
Jerem.  xiv.  16.  In  that  day  "  they  shall  bring  out  the  bones 
of  the  kings  of  Judah,  and  the  bones  of  his  princes,  and  the 
bones  of  the  priests,  and  the  bones  of  the  prophets — out  of  their 
graves  : — they  shall  not  be  gathered  nor  he  huried  ;  they  shall  be 
tor  dung  upon  the  face  of  the  earth,"  Jerem,  viii.  1,  2.  That 
the  dogs  devoured  "  Jezebel  in  the  portion  of  Jezreel,  and  there 
was  none  to  hury  her,"  2  Kings  ix.  10.  "  But  thou  art  cast  out 
of  thy  grave  like  an  abominable  branch  ;  as  a  carcass  trodden 
under  feet,"  Isaiah  xiv.  19,  20  :  besides  other  places  ;  as  in  Jerem. 
XXV.  32,  33  ;  xxii.  19  ;  vii.  32,  33  ;  xix.  11,  12  ;  2  Kings  xxiii.  16. 

507.  And  they  that  dwell  upon  the  earth  shall  lejoice  over 
them  and  he  glad,  signifies  the  delight,  on  that  account,  of  the 
affection  of  the  heart  and  soul  in  the  church  among  those  who 

396 


V.  9,  10.]         THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  608,  509 

were  in  faith  alone,  as  to  doctrine  and  life.  B*-  tlie  dwellers 
upon  earth  are  meant  they  who  are  in  the  churcli,  in  the  pros 
ent  case,  they  who  are  in  the  church  where  faith  alone  prevails; 
the  earth  signifies  the  church  in  which  they  arc,  n.  285  ;  to  re- 
joice and  be  glad  signifies  to  enjoy  the  delight  of  th.e  affection 
of  the  heart  and  soul ;  the  delight  of  the  afiection  of  the  heart 
having  reference  to  the  will,  and  the  delight  of  the  afiection  of 
the  soul  having  reference  to  the  understanding  ;  tor,  in  the 
Word,  by  heart  and  soul  are  meant  the  will  and  understanding 
of  man:  hence  it  is,  that  it  is  said  to  rejoice  and  be  glad, 
although  joy  and  gladness  seem  to  be  one  and  the  same  thing; 
but  in  these  two  expressions  there  is  the  marriage  of  the  will 
and  the  understanding,  which  also  is  the  marriage  of  good  and 
ti-uth,  which  exists  in  the  wliole  and  in  every  particular  of  the 
Word,  as  is  shown  in  The  Doctrine  of  the  Neio  Jerusalem  con- 
cerning the  Sacred  Scriptures,  n.  80 — 90.  This  is  the  reason 
why  both  these  expressions,  to  rejoice  and  be  glad,  or  joy  and 
gladness,  frequently  occur  in  other  parts  of  the  Word,  as  in 
these  passages  :  "They  shall  obtain  joy  and  gladness,^''  Isaiah 
XXXV.  10  ;  li.  11.  "  Joy  and  gladness  is  cut  off  from  the  house 
of  our  God,"  Joel  i.  16.  The  voice  oi  joy  and  the  voice  of 
gladness  shall  cease,  Jerem.  vii.  34  ;  xv.  10.  "  Tlie  fast  of  the 
tenth  shall  be  i'or  joy  and  gladness,''''  Zech.  viii.  19.  '•'•Rejoice 
ye  with  Jerusalem',  he  ye  glad  witji  her,"  Isaiah  Ixvi.  10.    "7?e- 

"  '  -      --      "Let 

2. 

id 

gladness  shall  be  foundin  Zion,  Isaiah  li.  3.  "Thou  shalt  liave 
joy  and  gladness,  and  many  shall  rejoice  at  his  birth,"  Luke  i. 
14.  "Then  will  I  cause  to  cease  the  voice  of  joy  and  the  voice 
of  gladness,  the  voice  of  the  bridegroom  and  the  voice  of  the 
bride,"  Jerem.  vii.  34;  xvi.  9;  xxv.  10;  xxxiii.  10,  11.  "Let 
all  them  that  trust  in  thee  rejoice  and  be  glad,''''  Psalm  v.  11 ; 
Psalm  Ixx.  5.  "  But  let  the  righteous  be  glad  and  rejoice  in 
gladness,''''  Psalm  Ixviii.  3.  "  Be  glad  in  Jerusalem,  rejoice  for 
joy  with  her,"  Isaiah  Ixvi.  10. 

508.  And  shall  send  gifts  one  to  another,  signifies  consocia- 
tion through  love  and  friendship.  To  send  gifts  signifies  to  be 
Rssociatedby  love  and  friendship,  because  a  gift  consociates, 
for  it  begets  love  and  causes  friendship ;  one  to  another,  signi- 
iies  mutually. 

509.  Because  these  two  prophets  tormented  them  that  dwell 
upon  the  earth,  signifies  that  these  two  essentials,  one  concern- 
inging  the  Lord  and  concerning  the  Divine  Humanity;  and  the 
other  concerning  a  life  according  to  the  commandments  of  the 
decalogue,  are  contrary  to  the  two  essentials  received  in  the 
church  of  the  reformed,  one  of  which  relates  to  a  trinity  of 
persons,  and  the  other  to  faith  alone  being  saving  without  th« 

397 


510  THE    APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Cliap.  xi. 

works  of  the  law,  and  that  by  reason  of  this  contrariety,  those 
two  essentials  of  the  Xew  Church,  which  is  the  New  Jerusalem, 
itre  held  in  contempt,  dislike,  and  aversion.  That  this  is  what 
is  signified,  when  by  the  two  prophets  or  witnesses  are  meant 
the  two  essentials  of  the  New  Church,  and  when  by  they  that 
dwell  upon  earth  are  meant  they  who  are  principled  in  the  two 
essentials  of  the  Reformed  Church,  follows  as  a  necessary  con- 
sequence ;  by  tormenting  is  signified  to  be  held  in  contempt, 
dislike,  and  aversion. 

510.  And  after  three  days  and  a  half  the  spirit  of  life  from 
God  entered  into  them,  and  they  stood  upon  their  feet^  signifies 
that  these  two  essentials  of  the  New  Church,  at  the  end  of  the 
former,  and  during  the  commencement  and  progress  of  the 
New  Church,  will,  w^ith  those  who  receive  them,  be  vivified  by 
the  Lord.  By  three  days  and  a  half  is  signified  to  the  end  and 
beginning,  n.  505,  thus  from  the  end  of  the  present  church  to 
the  beginning  of  the  new,  in  this  case,  with  those  among  whom 
the  New  Church  takes  its  rise  and  makes  progress,  because  it  is 
now  said  of  the  witnesses,  that  the  spirit  of  life  entered  into 
them,  and  they  stood  upon  their  feet.  By  the  spirit  of  life  from 
God  is  signified  spiritual  life;  and  by  standing  upon  their  feet 
is  signified  natural  life  in  accordance  with  spiritual  life,  and  thus 
vivification  from  the  Lord.  The  reason  why  this  is  signified,  is, 
because  by  the  spirit  of  life  is  meant  the  internal  of  man,  which 
is  called  the  internal  man,  which,  considered  in  itself,  is  spirit- 
ual, for  the  spirit  of  man  thinks  and  wills,  and  to  think  and 
will  in  itself  is  spiritual.  By  standing  upon  their  feet  is  signi- 
fied the  external  of  man,  which  is  called  the  external  man, 
wdiicli  is  in  itself  natural ;  for  the  body  speaks  and  acts  what 
its  spirit  thinks  and  wills,  and  to  speak  and  to  act  is  natural  : 
that  feet  signify  things  natural,  may  be  seen,  n.  49,  468.  What 
is  specificall}^  meant  by  this  expression,  shall  be  explained : — 
every  man  who  is  reformed,  is  first  reformed  as  to  the  internal 
man,  and  afterwards  as  to  the  external ;  the  intei-nal  man  is  not 
reformed  by  merely  knowing  and  understanding  the  truths  and 
goods  by  which  man  is  saved,  but  by  willing  and  loving  them; 
but  the  external  man,  by  speaking  and  doing  the  things  which 
the  internal  man  wills  and  loves,  and,  in  proportion  as  this 
takes  place,  in  the  same  proportion  man  is  regenerated.  The 
reason  why  he  is  not  regenerated  before,  is,  because  his  internal 
is  not  before  in  the  effect,  but  only  in  the  cause,  and,  unless  the 
cause  be  in  the  effect,  it  is  dissipated ; — ^it  is  like  a  house  built 
upon  ice,  which  sinks  to  the  bottom  when  the  ice  is  dissolved 
by  the  sun ;  in  a  word,  it  is  like  a  man  without  feet  to  stand 
and  walk  upon :  it  is  the  same  with  tlie  internal  or  spiritual 
man,  if  it  is  not  grounded  in  the  external  or  natural  man. 
Such  then  is  the  signification  of  the  two  witnesses  standing  upon 
their  feet  after  the  spirit  from  God  entered  into  them ;  and  al?c 
398 


r.  10 — 12.]  THE    APOCALTl'SE  REVEALED.  511 — 514 

of  similar  expressions  in  Ezekiel :  Jehovah  "said  iintc  me, 
Prophesy  unto  the  wind. — So  I  prophesied,  and  the  spirit  en- 
tered Into  them^and  they  stood  ujxm  their  feet,'''  Ezek.  xxxvii.  9, 
12.  And  again:  A  voice  speaking  unto  me,  said,  "Son  of 
man,  stand  up^on  tliy  feet, — and  the  spirit  entered  into  me, — and 
set  vie  iipon  my  feet,^''  Ezek.  ii.  1,  2.  And  again  :  "  I  fell  on 
my  face,  then  the  spirit  e)\tered  into  me,  and  set  me  upon  my 
feet,''''  iii.  23,  2-1.  This  is  Avhat  is  meant  also  by  the  Lord's 
words  to  Peter:  Peter  said,  Thou  shalt  not  wash  my  feet  only, 
"  but  also  my  hands  and  my  head.  Jesus  saith  to  him,  lie  that 
is  washed  needeth  not  save  to  wash  his  feet,  and  is  clean  every 
whit,"  John  xiii.  8,  10. 

511.  A?id  great  fear  fell  upon  them  that  saw  them,  signifies 
commotion  of  mind  and  consternation  at  divine  truths.  Fear 
has  vai'ious  signilications  according  to  the  thing  which  causes  it; 
in  the  present  instance,  great  fear  signifies  commotion  of  mind, 
and  consternation  at  divine  truths;  for  divine  truths  have  these 
eftects  upon  the  wicked,  for  they  terrify  them  when  they  at  the 
same  time  hear  of  hell  and  eternal  damiuition  ;  but  that  terror 
soon  vanishes,  together  with  the  faith  that  there  is  any  such 
thing  as  a  life  after  death. 

512.  And  they  heard  a  great  voice  from  heaven,  saying  unto 
them.  Come  up  hither,  signifies  that  these  two  essentials  of  the 
New  Church  were  taken  up  by  tjie  Lord  into  heaven,  whence 
they  came,  and  where  they  are,  and  the  protection  of  them. 
By  a  great  voice  from  heaven  is  signified  from  the  Lord,  for  a 
voice  from  heaven  proceeds  from  no  other  source ;  come  up 
hither,  signifies  their  being  taken  up  into  heaven,  whence  they 
came,  and  where  they  are,  and  their  protection. 

513.  And  they  ascended  up  to  heaven  in  a  cloud,  signifies 
the  taking  them  up  into  heaven,  and  conjunction  there  with  the 
Loi-d  by  the  divine  truth  of  the  "Word  in  its  literal  sense.  By 
ascending  up  to  heaven  is  signified  tlieir  being  taken  up  by  the 
Lord  into  heaven,  as  above,  n.  512;  in  the  present  case,  also, 
conjunction  Avith  the  Lord  there,  because  they  ascended  in  a 
cloud,  for  by  a  cloud  is  signified  the  literal  sense  of  the  Word, 
n.  24,  and  by  this  there  is  conjunction  with  the  Lord,  and  con- 
eociation  with  the  angels,  see  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusa- 
lem, concerning  the  Sacred  Sci'ipiure,  n,  62 — 69. 

514.  And  their  enemies  heheld  them,  signifies  that  they  who 
are  in  faith  separated  from  charity  heard  them,  but  continued 
in  their  own  falsities.  By  seeing  the  two  witnesses  is  signified 
to  hear  these  two  essentials  of  the  New  Church,  and  also  to 
see  them  confirmed  from  the  Word  ;  because  they  saw  them 
ascending  in  a  cloud,  and  by  a  cloud  is  signified  the  literal 
sense  of  the  Word,  n.  24,  513  ;  that,  nevertheless,  they  did  not 
receive  them,  but  continued  in  their  own  falses,  is  evident  from 
this  circumstance,  that  no  more  is  said  than  that  they  saw  thenii 

399 


515,  516  THE    APOCAIA'PSL    REVEALED.  [Chap.   Xl 

and  afterwards,  that  there  was  a  great  eartliquake,  in  which 
they  were  destroyed.  By  enemies  are  meant  they  who  were 
in  the  great  city,  which  is  spiritually  called  Sodom  and  Egypt, 
M'ho  were  those  that  are  in  faith  separated  from  charity,  as  may 
be  seen  above,  n.  501,  502,  and  following  numbers, 

515.  A?id  the  same  hour  there  was  d  great  earthqualce^  and 
the  tenth  ])art  of  the  city  fell  ^  signifies  a  remarkable  change  of 
state  which  then  took  place  with  them,  and  their  separation 
from  heaven,  followed  by  a  sinking  down  into  hell.  The  same 
hour  signifies  at  the  time  when  they  saw  the  two  witnesses  as- 
cend up  to  heaven,  and  nevertheless  continued  in  their  falses, 
as  above,  n.  314;  for  the  two  witnesses  prophesied,  that  is,, 
taught  them,  verse  3,  and  afterwards  were  slain,  and  revived 
again;  they  also  saw  them  ascend  up  to  heaven,  and  still  did 
not  recede  from  their  falses,  upon  which  the  great  earthquake 
took  place.  That  the  same  thing  happened  with  the  Two  Doc- 
trines of  the  New  Jerusalem^  one  concerning  the  Lord^  and  the 
other  concerning  a  Life  according  to  the  Commandments  of  the 
Decalogue,  may  in  some  measure  be  seen  in  the  Memorable 
Itelations  annexed  to  each  chaptei" : — those  two  doctrines  are 
the  tw^o  witnesses  here  treated  of.  By  an  earthquake  is  signified 
a  change  of  state,  n.  331,  here  their  destruction,  because  in 
that  earthquake  a  tenth  part  of  the  city  fell ;  by  a  tenth  part  is 
signified  all  therein,  for  ten  signifies  much  and  all,  n.  101;  a 
tenth  part,  or  a  tenth,  in  like  manner,  just  as  a  fourth  part  or  a 
fourth  signifies  the  same  thing  as  four,  n.  322;  and  a  third 
part  or  a  third  the  same  as  three,  n.  400.  By  falling  is  signi- 
fied to  sink  down  to  hell,  which  takes  place  when  they  are  torn 
from  heaven;  for  the  cities  in  the  spiritual  world,  which  are  in 
evils  and  falses, — after  they  that  dwell  therein  are  visited,  in- 
formed and  warned,  and  still  continue  in  their  evils  and  falses, 
— are  shook  with  an  earthquake,  by  which  a  gulf  is  opened, 
into  which  they  sink  down,  and  then  their  inhabitants  appear 
to  themselves  to  be  at  the  bottom,  as  it  were,  in  a  desert,  whence 
they  are  severally  removed  to  their  places  in  hell;  that  it  so 
happened  to  this  city,  will  be  seen  below,  n.  531. 

516.  And  in  the  earthquake  were  slain  names  of  men  seven 
thousand,  signifies  that  in  that  state  all  they  who  were  in  the 
confession  of  faith  alone,  and  therefore  made  no  account  of 
works  of  charity,  perished.  By  being  slain  is  signified  here,  as 
before,  to  be  slain  spiritually,  which  is  to  perish  as  to  the  soul; 
by  an  earthquake  is  signified  change  of  state  among  them,  and 
their  destruction,  as  above;  by  names  of  men  seven  thousand 
are  signified  all  who  were  in  the  confession  of  faith  alone,  and 
for  that  reason  made  no  account  of  works  of  charity,  and  there- 
fore condemned  those  two  holy  essentials  of  the  New  Church ; 
by  names  are  signified  they  who  are  such,  for  a  name  signifies 
the  quality  of  a  man,  n.  31,  122,  165;  and  by  seven  thousand 

400 


V.  13 15.]       THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  517 519 

are  signified  all  who  were  such,  for  the  same  is  signified  by 
seven  thousand  as  by  seven,  just  as  twelve  thousand  has  the 
same  signification  as  twelve,  n.  348.  That  seven  signifies  all,  and 
all  things,  and  is  predicated  of  the  holy  things  of  heaven  aiui  the 
church,  and,  in  an  opposite  sense,  of  the  same  when  ]»rofaned 
may  be  seen,  n,  10391. 

517.  And  the  remnant  were  affrighted,  and  gave  glory  to  the 
God  of  heaven,  signifies  that  they  who  had  adjoined  some  goods 
of  charity  to  faith,  when  they  saw  their  destruction,  acknow- 
ledged the  Lord,  and  were  separated.  By  the  remnant  are  here 
meant  they  who  adjoined  some  goods  of  charity  to  faith  ;  by 
being  aftriglited  is  signilied  through  fear,  when  they  saw  the 
destruction  of  the  others;  by  giving  glory  to  the  God  of  hea- 
ven is  signified  to  achnowledge  the  Lord  as  the  God  of  heaven 
and  earth ;  by  giving  glory  is  signified  to  acknowledge  and 
worship  ;  and  by  the  God  of  heaven  and  eartli  is  meant  the 
Lord,  because  he  is  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth.  Matt,  xxviii. 
18.  Inasmuch  as  these  acknowledged  the  Lord  through  fear, 
they  were  separated,  in  order  to  their  being  explored  for  the 
purpose  of  ascertaining  from  what  origin  they  did  good,  wliether 
from  themselves  or  from  the  Lord ;  all  they  do  good  from  them- 
selves who  do  not  shun  evils  as  sins,  that  is,  who  do  not  live 
according  to  the  commandments  of  the  decalogue;  but  they 
do  good  from  the  Lord,  who  shun  the  one  and  live  according  to 
the  other. 

518.  The  second  woe  is  past  j  hehold,  the  third  looe  cometh 
quickly,  signifies  lamentation  over  the  i)erverted  state  of  the 
church,  and  then  the  ultimate  lamentation,  to  be  treated  of  pres- 
ently. That  woe  signifies  lamentation  over  the  perverted  state 
of  the  church,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  416  ;  by  the  third  woe  is 
signified  the  ultimate  lamentation,  when  it  is  complete  and 
there  is  an  end  ;  for  three  and  a  third  have  that  signification, 
n.  505  ;  to  come  quickly  signifies  presently  or  hereafter,  and 
hereafter  means  from  chapter  xii.  to  xvii.,  and,  lastly,  chapter 
XX.,  where  the  last  judgment  executed  upon  them  is  treated  of 

519.  And  the  seventh  angel  sounded,  signifies  the  explora- 
tion and  manifestation  of  the  state  of  the  church  after  the  con- 
summation, at  the  coming  of  the  Lord  and  of  his  kingdom. 
By  sounding  with  a  trumpet  is  signified  to  explore  and  lay  open 
the  state  of  the  church  after  its  consummation,  at  the  C(uning 
of  the  Lord  and  of  his  kingdom.  The  reason  is,  because  this 
is  signified  by  the  seventh  angel  sounding;  for  by  the  six  angels 
and  their  trumpets  sounding,  were  signified  explorations  and 
manifestations  of  the  state  of  the  consumnuited  church,  as  ap- 
pears from  the  foregoing  chapter,  wliere  its  consummation  only 
is  treated  of;  but  that  now  its  state  after  consununation,  which 
is  the  coming  of  the  Lord  and  of  his  kingdom,  is  treated  of,  ap- 
pears from  what  follows  in  this  verse,  and  afterwards :  in  thia 

401  A  A 


520  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED,  [CIuip.  XI, 

verse :  "  And  the  seventh  angel  sounded,  and  there  were  great 
voices  in  lieaven,  saying,  The  kingdoms  of  the  world  are  be- 
come the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord  and  of  his  Christ,  and  he  shall 
reign  for  ever  and  ever,"  &c.  The  reason  why  this  manifesta- 
tion is  eifected  by  the  sounding  of  the  seventh  angel,  is,  be- 
cause seven  signifies  the  same  as  a  week,  and  six  days  of  the 
week  are  days  of  labour,  and  of  man's  propriuin  or  selfhood, 
and  the  seventh  is  holy  and  the  Lord's.  That  by  consumma- 
tion is  meant  the  devastation  of  the  church  when  there  is  no 
longer  any  truth  of  doctrine  and  good  of  life  therein,  thus  when 
its  end  is  accomplished,  maybe  seen,  n.  658,  750;  and  because 
then  is  the  coming  of  the  Lord  and  of  his  kingdom,  therefore 
both,  or  the  consummation  of  the  age  and  the  coming  of  the 
Lord,  are  mentioned  together  in  Matthew  xxiv.  3,  and  they  are 
both  also  foretold  in  that  chapter. 

520.  And  there  were  great  voices  in  heaven,  saying,  The 
Tcingdoms  of  the  world  are  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord 
and  of  his  Christ,  and  he  shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever,  signifies 
celebrations  by  the  angels,  because  heaven  and  the  church  are 
become  the  Lord's,  as  they  were  from  the  beginning,  and  be- 
cause now  they  are  in  subjection  also  to  his  Divine  Humanity, 
consequently  that  now,  both  as  to  his  Humanity  and  his  Divin- 
ity, the  Lord  will  reign  over  heaven  and  the  church  to  all  eter- 
nity. There  were  great  voices,  signifies  celebrations  by  the 
angels;  sayino-,  The  kingdoms  of  the  world  are  become  the  king- 
doms of  our  Lord  and  of  his  Christ,  signifies  that  heaven  and 
the  church  are  become  the  Lord's,  as  they  were  from  the  be- 
ginning, and  that  now  they  are  subject  also  to  his  Divine  Hu- 
manity ;  and  he  shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever,  signifies  that  the 
Lord,  both  as  to  his  Humanity  and  his  Divinity,  will  reign  over 
them.  That  great  voices  in  heaven  signify  celebrations  of  the 
Lord,  because  he  has  now  taken  to  him  his  great  power,  appears 
from  verse  17,  where  those  great  voices  are  specified.  By  the 
Lord  is  here  meant  the  Lord  from  eternity,  who  is  Jehovah  ; 
and  by  Christ  is  meant  his  Divine  Humanity,  which  is  the  Son 
of  God,  Luke  i.  32,  35.  That  the  Lord  as  to  his  Divine  Hu- 
manity also  will  reign,  manifestly  appears  from  these  words : 
The  Father  hath  given  all  things  into  the  hand  of  the  Son,  Jolm 
iii.  35.  "The  Father  hath  given  the  So?i poiuer  over  all  flesh,"- 
John  xvii.  2.  Father,  "  all  'mine  are  thine,  and  thine  mine,^^ 
John  xvii.  IC.  '•'' All  j^ower  is  given  unto  me  in  lieaven  and  in 
earth,"  Matt,  xxviii.  18.  Of  his  Divine  Humanity  he  also  said: 
That  the  Father  and  he  are  one.  And  that  he  is  in  the  Father 
and  the  Father  in  him,  John  x.  30,  38 ;  xiv,  5 — 12.  To  this 
may  be  added,  that  unless  the  Lord's  Humanity  is  acknow- 
ledged to  be  Divine  the  church  must  perisii,  for  in  that  case  the 
Lord  cannot  be  in  man  and  man  in  the  Lord,  as  he  himself 
teaches,  John  xiv.  20;  xv,  4 — 6;  xvii.  9;  and  this  conjunctiop 
402 


r.  15 — 17.]  THE  apocalypse  revealed.  521 — 523 

constitutes  a  man  of  the  clmrch,  and  thus  the  church.  The  rea- 
son why  the  Lord's  Divine  xlunianity  is  meant  by  Christ,  is, 
because  Clu'ist  is  the  Messiah,  and  the  Mcssiali  is  the  Son  of 
God,  wlio  was  expected  to  come  into  tlie  workl.  That  Christ 
is  tlie  Messiali,  appears  from  this  :  "  AVe  have  found  the  Messias, 
wliich  is,  being  interpreted,  the  Christ,^''  John  i.  41.  "The 
woman  said,  I  know  that  Messias  cometh,  whicli  is  called  Cht'ist" 
John  iv.  25 ;  for  Messiali,  in  the  Hebrew  language,  signifies  the 
anointed,  as  Christ  does  in  the  Greek  language.  That  the  Mes- 
siah is  the  Son  of  God,  appears  from  the  following  passages : 
The  high-priest  asked  him,  whether  he  was  the  Christ  (Messiah) 
the  Son  of  God,  Matt.  xxvi.  63  ;  Mark  xiv.  61 ;  John  xx.  31. 
"Thou  art  the  Christ  the  Son  of  God,  which  should  come  into 
the  world,"  John  xi.  27.  Peter  said,  "  We  believe  and  are 
su7'e  that  thou  art  the  Christ  the  Son  of  the  living  God^"*  John 
vi.  69.  That  the  Lord  as  to  His  Divine  Humanity  is  the  Son 
of  God,  appears  from  this  passage :  The  angel  said  unto  Mary, 
"Thou  shalt  conceive  in  thy  womb,  and  bring  forth  a  son:  he 
shall  be  great,  and  shall  be  called  The  Son  of  the  Highest.  Tlie 
Holy  Ghost  shall  come  upon  thee,  and  the  power  of  the  Highest 
shall  overshadow  thee;  therefore,  also,  that  holy  thing  which 
shall  be  born  of  thee,  shall  be  called  the  Son  of  God^''  Luke  i.  31, 
35  ;  and  many  others.  From  hence  it  is  plain  what  is  signified 
by  their  becoming  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord  and  of  his  Christ. 

521.  And  the  four-and-tioenty  elders,  that  sat  hefore  God  on 
their  thrones,  fell  upon  their  faces  and  worshipped  God,  signifies 
an  acknowledgment  by  all  the  angels  of  heaven,  that  the  Lord 
is  the  God  of  lieaven  and  earth,  and  supreme  adoration.  By 
the  four-and-twenty  elders  sitting  on  thrones  are  signified  all 
in  heaven,  specifically  in  the  spiritual  heaven,  n.  233,  251 ;  and 
by  falling  upon  their  faces  and  worshipping  God  is  signified 
supreme  adoration,  and  acknowledgment  that  the  Lord  is  the 
God  of  heaven  and  earth. 

522.  Saying,  We  give  thee  thanks,  O  Lord  God  Almighty, 
who  art,  and  who  wast,  and  who  art  to  come,  signifies  a  confes- 
sion and  glorification  by  the  angels  of  heaven,  that  it  is  the 
Lord  who  is,  who  has  life  and  power  from  himself,  and  who 
rules  all  things,  because  he  alone  is  eternal  and  infinite.  By 
giving  thanks  is  signified  an  acknowledgment  and  glorification 
of  the  Lord  ;  that  the  Son  of  Man,  who  is  the  Lord  as  to  the 
Divine  Humanity,  is  omnipotent,  the  Alpha  and  Omega,  the 
beginning  and  the  end,  the  first  and  the  last,  also  who  is,  who 
was,  and  who  is  to  come,  maybe  seen  above  in  the  Apoealyjise, 
chap.  i.  8,  11,  17;  ii.  8;  iv.  8;  and  that  thereby  is  signified 
that  it  is  he  who  is,  lives,  and  has  power  from  himself,  who  rules 
all  things,  and  is  alone  eternal  and  infinite,  and  God,  may  be 
8cen  above,  n.  13,  29—31,  38,  57,  92. 

523.  Because  thou  hast  taker,  to  thee  thy  great  power,  and 
403 


521,  525  THE    APOCALYPSE   KETEALED.  [Cliap.  xl 

hast  hegun  to  reign,  signifies  the  new  lieaven  and  tlie  new 
church,  where  ther  acknowledge  him  to  be  the  only  God,  as  he 
is  and  was.  Because  thou  liast  taken  to  thee  thy  great  power, 
signifies  divine  omnipotence,  which  is  his,  and  was  his  from 
eternity;  and  hast  begun  to  reign,  signifies  tliat  heaven  and  the 
church  are  now  his,  as  before  ;  by  his  kingdom  is  here  meant 
the  new  heaven  and  new  church,  treated  of  in  the  Apocalypse, 
chap.  xxi.  xxii.  The  Apocalypse  from  beginning  to  end  treats 
exclusively  of  the  state  of  the  former  heaven  and  church,  and  of 
their  abolition,  and  afterwards  of  the  new  heaven  and  new 
church,  and  of  their  establishment,  in  which  one  God  will  be 
acknowledged  in  whom  there  is  a  trinity,  and  that  that  God  is 
the  Lord.  This  the  Apocalypse  teaches  from  beginning  to  end ; 
for  it  teaches  that  the  Son  of  Man,  who  is  the  Lord  as  to  the 
Divine  Humanity,  is  the  Alpha  and  the  Omega,  the  beginning 
and  the  end,  the  first  and  the  last,  he  that  is,  was,  and  is  to 
come,  and  the  Almighty,  n.  522;  and,  lasfly,  that  the  New 
Church,  which  is  the  New  Jerusalem,  will  be  the  church  of  the 
Lamb,  that  is,  of  his  Divine  Humanity,  thus  at  the  same  time 
of  the  Divinity,  from  whence  all  things  are,  as  is  plain  from  the 
following  passages  :  "  Let  us  be  glad  and  rejoice,  for  the  tirne  of 
tfie  LainVs  marriage  is  come,  and  his  wife  hath  made  herself 
ready, ^^  Apoc.  xix.  7.  "And  there  came  one  of  the  seven 
angels,  and  said  unto  me.  Come  hither,  I  will  show  thee  the 
hride  the  LamVs  loife  /  and  he  showed  me  that  great  city  the 
Holy  Jerusalem,"  Apoc.  xxi.  9,  10.  "  I  Jesus  am  the  root  and 
offspring  of  David,  the  bright  and  morning  star;  and  the  spirit 
and  the  hride  say.  Come,  and  let  him  that  heareth  say.  Come," 
Apoc.  xxii.  16,  17.  There  was  given  unto  the  Son  of  man  do- 
minion, and  glory,  and  a  kingdom  ;  his  dominion  is  an  everlast- 
ing dominion,  and  his  kingdom  shall  not  be  destroyed,  Dan.  vii.  14, 

524.  And  the  nations  were  angry,  signifies  those  who  are  in 
faith  alone,  and  thence  in  evils  of  life,  that  they  were  enraged, 
and  infested  those  who  are  against  their  faith,  B}^  the  nations 
are  meant  they  who  are  in  evils  of  life,  and,  abstractedly,  evils 
of  life,  n,  147,  483,  but  here,  they  who  are  in  faith  alone,  be- 
cause these  are  here  treated  of,  and  these  are  in  evils  of  life, 
because  their  religion  inculcates  that  the  law  does  not  condemn 
tliem,  provided  they  believe  that  Christ  took  away  its  condem- 
nation. Their  being  angry  signifies  not  only  that  they  were 
enraged,  but  also  that  they  infested  those  who  are  against  that 
faith,  as  may  appear  from  what  follows  concerning  the  dragon, 
cliap.  xii.  17,  and  afterwards. 

525.  And  thy  wrath  is  come,  and  the  time  of  judging  the  dead, 
signifies  their  destruction,  and  the  execution  of  the  last  judg- 
ment upon  those  who  have  not  any  spiritual  life.  By  thy  wrath 
is  signified  the  last  judgment,  n.  340,  thus  their  destruction;  the 
reason  why  this  is  signified  bv  the  Lord's  wrath,  is,  because  it 

404 


V.  17,  18.]        TEE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  520 

Beenis  to  tlieni  as  if  the  Lord  cast  them  into  hell  from  wi'ath, 
when  nevertheless  it  is  the  wicketl  y,\]\o  cast  themselves  into 
hell;  for  it  is  like  a  malefactor's  attrihutiii<ij  his  punishment  to 
the  law,  or  like  a  man's  thrusting  his  hand  into  the  tire,  and  as- 
crihing  to  the  tire  the  injury  he  receives;  or  like  ascribing  to 
the  sword,  held  out  merely  in  defence  by  another,  its  running 
him  through  the  body,  when  he  himself,  in  fact,  runs  agai;ist 
the  point  of  it:  thus  it  happens  with  every  one  who  is  against 
the  Lord,  and,  out  of  wrath,  rushes  against  those  who  are  under 
the  Lord's  protection.  By  the  dead  who  are  to  be  judged,  in 
a  universal  sense,  are  meant  they  who  have  died  out  of  the 
world,  but,  in  a  proper  sense,  are  meant  they  who  have  not  any 
spii'itual  life,  judgment  being  predicated  of  these,  John  iii.  18  ; 
v,  24,  29,  The  reason  is,  because  they  are  called  the  living 
who  have  spiritual  life  ;  spiritual  life  exists  with  those  only  who 
approach  the  Lord,  and  at  the  same  time  shun  evils  as  sins. 
They  who  have  no  ^^iritual  life  are  understood  in  these  passages : 
"They  joined  themselves  also  unto  Baalpeor  and  ate  the  sacri- 
fices of  the  dead^''  Psalm  cvi,  28.  "  The  enemy  persecuteth  my 
soul,  he  hath  caused  me  to  dwell  in  darkness  as  those  who  have 
been  long  dead,''"'  Psalm  cxliii.  3.  "To  hear  the  groaning  of 
the  prisoner,  and  to  loose  those  that  ai"e  appointed  to  death^^ 
Psalm  cii.  20.  "  I  know  thy  works,  that  thou  hast  a  name, 
that  thou  livest,  and  art  dead:  be  watchful,  and  strengthen  the 
tilings  which  are  ready  to  die^''  Apoc.  iii.  1,  2.  The  reason  why 
these  are  meant  by  the  dead,  is,  because  spiritual  death  is  un- 
derstood ;  therefore  also  by  the  slain  they  are  signified  who  die 
that  death,  n.  321,  325 ;  and  in  other  places.  But  they  who 
have  died  out  of  the  world  are  understood  by  the  dead  in  these 
passages:  "And  the  dead  were  judged  according  to  those 
things  which  were  written  in  the  books,"  Apoc.  xx.  12.  "  But 
the  rest  of  the  dead  lived  not  again,"  Apoc.  xx.  5.  The  reason 
is,  because,  by  the  first  death  there,  is  meant  natural  deatli, 
which  is  from  the  world ;  and  by  the  second  death  is  meant 
spiritual  death,  which  is  damnation. 

526.  And  of  giving  reward  unto  thy  servants  the  prophets, 
and  to  the  saints,  signifies  the  felicity  of  life  eternal  to  tliose  who 
are  in  truths  of  doctrine  from  the  Word,  and  in  a  life  accord- 
ing to  them.  By  reward  is  signified  the  felicity  of  eternal  life, 
as  will  be  seen  presently ;  by  prophets  are  signified  they  who 
are  in  truths  of  doctrine  from  the  W  ord,  n.  8, 133  ;  and  by  saints 
they  who  are  in  a  life  according  to  them,  n.  173.  By  reward 
is  here  meant  the  felicity  of  eternal  life,  arising  from  the  delight 
and  pleasantness  of  the  love  and  afll'ection  of  good  and  truth  ; 
for  every  affection  of  love  has  its  accompanying  delight  and 
pleasantness,  and  the  affection  of  the  love  of  good  and  truth 
has  a  delight  and  pleasantnesss  such  as  the  angels  of  heaven 
enjoy ;  and  all  affection  continues  with  man  after  death :  the 
405 


527  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         [Chap.  Xl. 

reason  is,  because  affection  is  of  the  love,  and  love  is  the  life 
of  man,  therefore  the  life  of  every  one  after  death  is  such  as  his 
ruling  love  had  been  in  the  world ;  and  the  ruling  love  of  truth 
and  good  exists  with  those  who  have  loved  the  truths  of  the 
Word,  and  have  lived  according  to  them.  Nothing  else  but 
the  delight  of  goodness  and  the  pleasantness  of  truth  is  meant 
bj»reward  in  the  following  passages:  "Behold  the  Lord  Je- 
liovali  will  come  with  a  strong  hand,  behold,  his  reioai'd  is  with 
him,"  Isaiah  xl.  10;  Ixii.  11.  "And  behold,  I  come  quickly, 
and  my  rewourd  is  with  me,"  Apoc.  xxii.  12.  "  Surely  mj 
judgment  is  with  Jehovah,  and  the  reward  of  my  work  is  with 
my  God,"  Isaiah  xlix.  4.  "For  I  Jehovah  love  judgment,  I 
will  give  the  reward  of  their  work,"  Isaiah  Ixi.  8,  "  Do  good 
— hoping  for  nothing  again ;  and  your  reioard  shall  be  great, 
and  ye  sliall  be  the  children  of  the  Highest,"  Luke  vi.  35 ;  not 
to  mention  other  places  ;  as  in  Jeremiali  xxxi.  16,  17  ;  Matt.  ii. 
18  ;  v.  2—6,  11,  12  ;  x.  41,  42  ;  Mark  ix.  41 ;  Luke  vi.  22,  23 ; 
xiv.  12—14 ;  John  i.  35,  36. 

527.  And  to  them  that  fear  thy  name^  l)oth  small  and  great, 
signifies,  who  love  the  things  which  are  of  the  Lord  in  a  greater 
or  less  degree.  By  fearing  the  name  of  the  Lord  is  signified 
to  love  the  things  which  are  of  the  Lord ;  to  fear  signifies  to 
love,  and  the  name  of  the  Lord  signifies  all  things  by  wJiich  he 
is  worshipped,  n.  8 ;  by  small  and  great  are  signified  they  who 
fear  the  Lord  in  a  lesser  and  greater  degree.  The  reason  why 
to  fear  here  signifies  to  love,  is,  because  every  one  who  loves  is 
also  afraid  of  injuring  him  wdiom  he  loves:  genuine  love  does 
not  exist  without  such  fear ;  therefore  he  who  loves  the  Lord  is 
afraid  to  do  evils,  because  evils  are  contrary  to  him,  being  con- 
trary to  his  divine  laws  in  the  Word,  which  are  from  him  and 
thus  himself;  yea,  they  are  contrary  to  his  divine  essence, 
which  is  that  which  wills  to  save  all,  for  he  is  the  Saviour,  and 
cannot  save  man  unless  man  lives  according  to  his  laws  and 
commandments ;  and,  wdiat  is  more,  he  who  loves  evils  also 
loves  to  do  evil  to  the  Lord,  yea,  to  crucify  him.  This  lies 
deeply  hid  in  all  evil,  even  among  those  who  confess  him  with 
their  lips  in  this  world  :  this  circumstance  is  unknown  to  men, 
but  is  well  known  to  the  angels.  That  to  fear  God  signifies  to 
love  the  things  which  are  of  God,  by  doing  them,  and  by  not 
willing  to  do  those  which  are  against  him,  appears  from  these 
passages :  "  What  doth  Jehovah  God  require  of  thee,  but  to 
fear  Jehovah  thy  God,  to  walk  in  all  his  w^ays,  and  to  love 
him  V  Deut.  x.  12.  "  Ye  shall  walk  after  Jehovah  your  God, 
and  fear  him,  and  keep  his  commandments,"  Deut.  xiii.  4. 
"  Thou  shalt  fear  Jehovah  thy  God,  him  shalt  thou  serve,  and 
to  him  slialt  thou  cleave,"  Deut.  x.  20  ;  vi.  2, 13, 14,  24 ;  viii.  6  ; 
xvii.  19  ;  xxviii.  58  ;  xxxi.  12.  "  O  that  there  were  such  a  heart 
in  them,  that  the}'  would  fear  rte,  an''  keep  all  mj  cuminanu 

406 


V.   18,  19.]        THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  528.  529 

ments  always,"  Dent.  v.  29.  "Teach  me  thy  way,  O  Jehovah, 
unite  my  heart  to  tlie  year  of  thy  nmne^''  Psahn  Ixxxvi.  11. 
"Blessed  is  every  one  \\\2ii  jeareth  Jehovah',  that  walketh  in 
his  w^ays,"  Psalm  cxxviii.  1 ;  Psalm  cxii.  1 ;  Jerem.  xliv.  10. 
"If  then  I  be  a  Father,  where  is  mine  liononr?  and  if  I  be  a 
master,  where  is  my  fear  V  Mai.  i.  6,  ii.  5;  Isaiah  xi.  2,  3, 
"And  I  will  give  them  one  heart  and  one  way,  that  they  may 
fear  me  for  ever,  and  I  will  pnt  my  fear  in  their  hearts,  that 
tliey  depart  not  from  me,"  Jerem.  xxxii.  39,  40.  "  The  fear  of 
Jehovah  is  the  beginning  of  .wisdom,"  Psalm  cxi.  10 ;  besides 
other  places ;  as  in  Isaiah  vii.  13 ;  xxv.  3 ;  xxix.  13 ;  1.  10 ; 
Jerem.  xxxiii.  9;  Psalm  xxii.  23;  Psalm  xxxiii.  8,  10;  Psalm 
xxxiv.  8,  10 ;  Psalm  Iv.  19 ;  Psalm  cxv.  10,  11 ;  Psalm  cxlvii. 
11 ;  Apoc,  xiv.  7;  Lnke  i.  50.  But  the  fear  of  God  with  the 
wicked  is  not  love,  but  a  dread  of  hell. 

528.  And  of  destroying  them  that  destroy  the  earthy  signifies 
the  casting  of  those  into  hell  who  have  destroyed  the  church. 
The  reason  why  by  destroying  them  which  destroy  the  earth,  is 
signified  the  casting  of  those  into  hell  who  have  destroyed  the 
church,  is,  liecause  by  the  earth  the  church  is  signified,  n.  285, 
and  because  it  follows  after  these  things  :  "And  the  time  of  the 
dead  is  come  that  they  should  be  judged,"  by  which  is  signified 
the  execution  of  the  last  judgment  upon  those  whc-  have  no 
spiritual  life,  n.  525,  thus  hero,  by  the  time  is  come  of  destroy- 
ing them  ^Yhicll  destroy  the  eartli,  is  signified. the  casting  down 
into  hell  of  those  who  have  destroyed  the  church.  The  like  is 
said  of  Lucifer,  by  whom  Babylon  is  meant,  in  Isaiah :  "  Because 
thou  hast  destroyed  thy  earth  and  slain  thy  people,"  xiv.  20. 

529.  And  the  temple  of  God  was  opened  in  heaven^  and  there 
was  seen  in  his  temple  the  ark  of  his  covenant,  signifies  tlie  new 
heaven,  in  which  the  Lord  in  his  Divine  Humanity  is  worship- 
ped ;  and  where  they  live  according  to  the  commanthnents  of 
his  decalogue,  which  are  the  two  essentials  of  the  New  Church, 
by  which  comes  conjunction.  By  the  temple  of  God  is  signi- 
fied the  Lord's  Divine  Humanity,  likewise  heaven,  where  angels 
dwell,  and,  also,  the  church  u})on  earth ;  that  these  three  are 
fignified  by  the  temple  of  God,  and  that  they  cannot  be  sepa- 
rated, may  be  seen,  n.  191  ;  but  here,  b}^  the  temi)le  of  God,  is 
signified  the  Lord  in  his  Divine  Humanity  in  heaven  where 
angels  dwell,  because  it  is  called  the  temple  of  God  in  heaven. 
By  the  ark  in  the  temple  is  meant  the  decalogue,  for  in  the  ark 
there  were  only  the  two  tables  on  which  tlu^  decalogue  was 
written  ;  by  the  temple  being  open  is  signified  that  these  two, 
the  Divine  Humanity  and  the  decalogue,  which  are  the  two 
essentials  of  the  New  Church,  are  now  seen,  and  were  seen 
after  tlie  wicked  were  cast  into  hell,  n.  528.  The  reason  why 
the  ark  of  his  covenant  is  said  to  be  in  his  temple,  is,  because  a 
covenant  signifies  conjunction,  as  will  be  seen  below;  but  some 

407 


529  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Chap,  xi 

thing  shall  first  be  said  of  the  decalogue.  What  nation  is  there 
in  the  whole  world  which  does  not  know  that  it  is  evil  to  mur- 
der, to  commit  adultery,  to  steal,  to  bear  false  witness?  If  man- 
kind did  not  know  these  things,  and  if  laws  were  not  made  to 
prevent  these  crimes,  they  must  needs  perish ;  for  a  society, 
commonwealth,  and  kingdom,  Avould  cease  without  such  laws. 
Who  can  suppose  that  the  Israelitish  nation  could  have  been  so 
much  more  stupid  than  all  others,  as  not  to  know  that  these 
things  were  evils?  Therefore  any  one  may  wonder  why  these 
laws,  universally  known  throughout  the  whole  world,  should 
have  been  promulgated  by  Jehovah  himself  from  Mount  Sinai 
in  so  miraculous  a  manner,  and  written  with  his  own  finger. 
But,  let  it  be  remembered,  that  they  were  promulgated  in  a  mi- 
raculous manner  by  Jehovah  liimself,  and  written  by  his  finger, 
to  make  known  to  them  that  those  laws  were  not  only  civil  and 
moral  laws,  but  also  spiritual  laws,  and  that  to  act  contrary  to 
tliem,  was  not  only  to  commit  evil  against  a  fellow-citizen  and 
against  society,  but  that  it  was  also  to  sin  against  God :  where- 
fore these  laws,  by  being  promulgated  from  Mount  Sinai  by 
Jehovah,  were  made  laws  of  religion ;  for  it  is  evident  that 
wliatsbever  Jehovah  God  commands,  he  commands  as  a  point 
of  religion,  and  that  it  should  be  done  for  his  sake,  and  for 
man's  sake,  that  he  might  be  saved.  These  laws,  being  the  first- 
fruits  of  the  church  about  to  be  established  by  the  Lord  among 
tlie  Israelitish  nation,  and  being,  in  a  short  summary,  the  com- 
plex of  all  things  of  religion  whereby  a  conjunction  of  the 
Lord  with  man  and  of  man  with  the  Lord  was  given,  surpassed 
every  thing  else  in  holiness.  That  they  were  most  holy  may 
appear  from  this  testimony,  as  follows :  That  Jehovah  himself, 
that  is,  the  Lord,  descended  in  fire,  and  that  the  mountain  then 
smoked  and  quaked,  "  and  that  there  were  thunders,  and  light- 
nings, and  a  thick  cloud,  and  the  voice  of  a  trumpet,"  Exod. 
xix.  16,  18 ;  Dent.  v.  19 — 23.  That  the  people  before  the  de- 
scent of  Jehovah  prepared  and  sanctified  themselves  three 
days,  Exod.  xix.  10,  11,  15.  That  bounds  were  set  round  the 
mount,  that  no  one  might  come  near  to  the  border  thereof,  lest 
he  should  die,  Exod.  xix.  12,  13,  20—23;  xxiv.  1,  2.  That 
this  lavj  was  written  "  upon  two  tahles  of  stone,  and  that  it 
was  written  with  the  finger  of  God,"  Exod.  xxxi.  18 ;  xxxii.  15, 
16 ;  Deut.  ix.  •  10.  That  the  face  of  Moses  shone,  wlien  he 
brought  those  tahles  a  second  time  down  from  the  mount,  Exod. 
xxxiv.  29 — '35.  That  those  tables  were  deposited  in  the  ark, 
Exod.  XXV.  16  ;  xl.  20 ;  Deut.  x.  5  ;  1  Kings  viii.  9.  That  the 
place  in  the  tabernacle,  where  the  ark  was,  was  called  the 
Holy  of  Holies,  Exod.  xxvi.  33  ;  and  in  other  places.  That  the 
arh^  from  the  law  being  contained  in  it,  was  called  Jehovah 
there,  Numb.  x.  35,  36  ;  2  Sam.  vi.  2;  Psalm  cxxxii.  28.  That 
Jehovah  spake  with  Moses  over  the  ark,  Exod.  xxv.  22  ;  Numb. 
408 


V.  19.]  THE  APOCAI\PSE  REVEALED.  530,  531 

vii.  89.  That  on  acccmnt  of  tlie  holiness  of  that  law^  it  was 
not  permitted  Aaron  to  enter  within  the  vail,  where  the  rt/-^' was, 
but  with  sacrifices  and  incense,  lest  he  should  die,  Levit.  xvi. 
2 — 1-i,  &c.  That  from  the  Lord's  presence  and  power  in  the 
law  which  Avas  in  the  ark,  the  waters  of  Jordan  were  divided, 
and  so  long  as  it  rested  in  the  midst  of  them,  the  people  passed 
over  on  dry  ground.  Josh.  iii.  1 — 17;  iv.  5 — 20.  That  by 
carrving  the  ark  round  about  Jericho,  the  walls  thereof  fell 
down,  Josh.  vi.  1—20.  That  Dagon,  the  god  of  the  Philis- 
tines, fell  dov/n  to  the  earth  before  tlie  ark,  and  afterwards  lay 
upon  the  threshold  of  the  temple  with  his  head  broken  off,  1 
Sam.  V.  3,  4,  That  the  Ekronites  and  the  Bethshemites  were 
smitten  on  account  of  the  ark  to  the  number  of  seveiuil  thou- 
sands, 1  Sam.  V.  and  vi.  That  the  ark  was  introduced  by 
David  into  Sion  with  sacrifices  and  rejoicings,  2  Sam.  vi.  1 — 
19.  That  Uzzah,  who  then  touched  it,  died,  2  Sam.  vi.  6,  7. 
That  the  ark  constituted  the  most  sacred  place  or  oracle  in  the 
temple  of  Jerusalem,  1  Kings  vi.  19,  &c. ;  viii.  3 — 9.  That 
the  tables  upon  which  the  laio  was  written,  were  called  the 
tables  of  the  covenant,  and  that  the  ark,  from  them,  was  called 
the  arkoitha  covenant,  and  the  law  \t^>d\i  i\\Q  cavejidnt,  Numb. 
X.  33;  Deut.  iv.  13,  23;  v.  2,  3;  ix.  9  ;  Josh.  iii.  11;  1  Kings 
viii.  19,  21  ;  and  other  places.  By  that  law  being  called  a 
covenant,  conjunction  is  signified  ;  the  reason  is,  because  cove- 
nants were  entered  into  for  the  sake  of  love,  of  friendship,  ot 
consociation,  and  thus  of  conjunction;  therefore  it  is  said  of 
the  Lord,  That  he  shall  be  for  a  covenant  to  the  people,  Isaiah 
xlii.  6;  xlix.  8.  And  he  is  called  The  Angel  of  the  Covenant, 
Malachi  iii.  1.  And  his  blood,  The  Blood  of  the  Covenant, 
Matt.  xxvi.  28 ;  Zech.  ix.  11 ;  Exod.  xxiv.  4—10.  And  therefore 
the  Word  is  called  The  Old  and  New  Testament  or  Covenant, 

530.  And  there  were  lightnings,  and  voices,  and  thunderings, 
and  an  earthquake,  and,  great  hail,  signifies  the  ratiocinations, 
commotions,  and  falsifications  of  good  and  truth  that  then  en- 
sued in  the  spheres  beneath  (m  inferiorihus).  By  lightnings, 
voices,  and  thunderings,  are  signified  ratiocinations,  n.  390  ;  by 
earthquakes  are  signified  changes  of  the  state  of  the  church,  n. 
331,  here  commotioTis  ;  by  great  hail  are  signified  falsifications 
of  things  true  and  good,  n.  399.  These  things  took  place  in 
the  parts  below,  where  the  wicked  still  abode,  before  the  last 
judgment  was  executed  upon  them;  for  it  is  said  in  the  pre- 
ceding verse  (18) :  "  And  the  time  is  come  of  judging  the  dead, 
and  f»f  destroying  them  which  destroy  the  earth."  Such  things 
exist  in  the  world  of  spirits,  from  the  presence  and  influx  of  the 
heaven  which  is  above  them. 

531.  To  the  above  I  shall  add  this  Memorable  Eolation.  I 
was  once  seized  suddenly  with  a  disease  that  seemed  to  threaten 

409 


531  THE    APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Chap.  Xl. 

mj  life.  I  suffered  excruciating  pain  all  over  ray  head  ;  a  pes- 
tential  smoke  ascended  fro7n  that  Jerusalem  wliicli  is  called 
Sodom  and  Egypt ;  half  dead  with  the  severity  of  my  sufferings, 
I  expected  every  moment  would  be  my  last.  Thus  I  lay  in  my 
bed  three  days  and  a  half;  my  spirit  was  reduced  to  this  state, 
and,  in  consequence  of  it,  my  body.  And  then  I  heard  the 
voices  of  persons  about  me,  saying,  "  Lo,  he  who  preached  re- 
pentance for  the  remission  of  sins,  and  the  Man  Christ  alone, 
lies  dead  in  the  streets  of  our  city."  And  they  asked  some  ol 
the  clergy  whether  he  was  worthy  of  burial?' who  answered, 
"No;  let  him  lie  to  be  looked  at."  And  they  passed  to  and 
fro,  and  mocked.  All  this  befell  me,  of  a  truth,  when  I  was 
writing  the  explanation  of  this  chapter  of  the  Apocalypse. 
Then  were  heard  many  shocking  speeches  of  scoffers,  who  said, 
"  HoAv  can  repentance  be  performed  without  faith  ?  and  how 
can  the  man  Christ  be  adored  as  God  ?  Since  we  are  saved  of 
free  grace  without  any  merit  of  our  own,  what  need  is  there  of 
any  faith  but  this,  that  God  the  Father  sent  the  Son  to  take 
away  the  curse  of  the  law,  to  impute  his  merit  to  us,  and  so  to 
justify  us  in  his  sight,  and  absolve  us  from  our  sins  by  the 
declaration  of  a  priest,  and  then  give  the  Holy  Ghost  to  ope- 
rate all  good  in  us  ?  Are  not  these  doctrines  agreeable  to 
Scripture,  and  consistent  with  reason  also  ?"  All  this  the 
crowd,  who  stood  by,  agreed  to  and  applauded.  I  heard  what 
passed  without  the  power  of  replying,  being  almost  dead ;  but 
after  three  days  and  a  half  my  spirit  recovered,  and,  being  in 
the  spirit,  I  left  the  street  and  went  into  the  city,  and  said 
again,  "  Do  the  work  of  repentance,  and  believe  in  Christ,  and 
your  sins  will  be  remitted,  and  ye  will  be  saved  ;  but  otherwise 
ye  will  perish.  Did  not  the  Lord  himself  preach  repentance 
lor  the  remission  of  sins,  and  that  men  should  believe  in  liim  ? 
Did  not  he  enjoin  his  disciples  to  preach  the  same?  Is  not  a 
full  and  fatal  security  of  life  the  sure  consequence  of  this  dogma 
of  your  faith  ?"  But  they  replied,  "  What  idle  talk  !  Has  not 
the  Son  made  satisfaction  ?  And  does  not  the  Father  impute 
it  to  us,  and  justify  us  who  have  believed  in  it?  Thus  are  we 
led  by  the  spirit  of  grace  :  how  then  can  sin  have  place  in  us, 
and  what  power  has  death  over  us  ?  Do  you  comprehend  this 
"ospel,  thou  preacher  of  sin  and  rejientance?"  At  that  instant 
voice  was  heard  from  heaven,  saying,  "What  is  the  faith  of 
an  impenitent  man,  but  a  dead  faith  ?  The  end  is  come,  the 
end  is  come  upon  you  that  are  secure,  unblamable  in  your  own 
eyes,  justified  in  your  own  faith,  ye  devils  !"  And  suddenly  a 
deep  gulf  was  opened  in  the  midst  of  the  city,  which  spread 
itself  far  and  wide ;  and  the  houses  fell  one  upon  another,  and 
were  swallowed  up;  and  presently  water  began  to  bubble  u] 
from  the  wide  whirlpool,  and  overflowed  the  waste. 

When  they  were  thus  overwhelmed,  and,  to  appearance 
410 


CLap.  xi.J        THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  53"i 

drowned,  1  was  desirous  to  know  their  condition  in  the  deep  ; 
and  a  voice  from  heaven  said  to  me,  "  Thou  shalt  see  and  liear." 
And  straii;;htway  the  waters,  in  which  they  secured  to  be 
drowned,  disappeared ;  for  waters,  in  the  spiritual  world,  are 
correspondences,  and  hence  appear  to  surround  those  M'ho  are 
in  falses.  Then  they  appeared  to  me  in  a  sandy  place,  where 
there  were  large  heaps  of  stone,  amongst  which  they  were  run- 
ning, and  lamenting  that  they  were  cast  out  of  tlieir  great  city  ; 
and  they  lifted  up  their  voices,  and  cried,  "  Wh}^  lias  all  this 
befallen  us?  Are  we  not,  by  our  faith,  clean,  pure,  just,  and 
holy  ?"  And  others  said,  "  Are  we  not,  by  our  faith,  cleansed, 
purified,  justiiied,  and  sanctified?"  And  others  said,  "  Are  we 
not,  by  our  faith,  rendered  such  as  to  appear  before  God  the 
Father,  and  to  be  seen  and  reputed  clean,  pure,  just,  and  holy, 
and  declared  so  before  the  angels  ?  Are  we  not  reconciled, 
propitiated,  expiated,  and  thus  absolved,  washed,  and  cleansed 
from  sins?  And  is, not  the  curse  of  the  law  taken  away  by 
Clirist?  Why  then  are  we  cast  down  here  as  the  damned  ? 
"We  have  been  told  by  a  presumptuous  preacher  of  sin  in  our 
great  city,  '  Believe  in  Christ  and  repent.'  But  have  we  not 
believed  in  Christ  whilst  we  believed  in  his  merits  ?  And  have 
we  not  done  the  Avork  of  re])entance  while  we  confessed  ourselves 
sinners  ?  Why  then  lias  all  this  befallen  us  ?"  But  immediately 
a  voice  from  one  side  said  to  them,  "  Do  you  know  any  on 6  sin 
that  is  in  you?  Have  you  ever  examined  yourselves?  Have 
you,  in  consequence,  shunned  any  evil  as  a  sin  against  God  ? 
For  he  who  does  not  shun  sin,  remains  in  it ;  and  is  not  sin  the 
devil  ?  Ye  are  therefore  of  the  class  of  those  of  whom  the  Lord 
said,  Then  shall  ye  begin  to  say.  We  have  eaten  and  drunk  in 
thy  presence,  and  thou  hast  taught  in  our  streets  ;  but  he  shall 
say,  I  tell  you,  I  know  you  not,  whence  ye  are  ;  depart  from  me 
all  ye  workers  of  iniquity,  Luke  xiii.  26,  27,  and  of  whom  he 
spake  in  Matt.  vii.  22,  23.  Depart  ye,  therefore,  every  one  to 
his  own  place  ;  you  see  the  openings  into  those  caverns,  enter, 
and  there  work  shall  be  given  each  of  you  to  do,  and  afterwards 
food  in  proportion  to  your  work  ;  but  though  you  sliould  refuse 
at  present  to  enter,  the  calls  of  hunger  will  speedily  compel  you." 
.  After  this  there  came  a  voice  from  heaven  to  some  on  eartli,* 
who  were  without  that  great  city,  and  who  are  described  also, 
verse  13,  crying  aloud,  ''  Take  heed  to  yourselves,  take  heed 
Iiow  you  associate  with  such  persons  ;  can  you  not  understand 
that  evils,  which  are  called  sins  and  iniquities,  render  men 
impure  and  unclean?  How  can  man  be  cleansed  and  purified 
from  them,  but  by  actual  repentance,  and  by  faith  in  Jesus 
Christ  ?  Actual  repentance  consists  in  self-examination,  in  the 
knowledge  and  acknowledgment  of  sins,  in  owning  to  tlieir 
guilt,  in  confessing  them  before  the  Lord,  in  imploring  help 

*  By  earth  liere  is  to  be  uaJerstood  the  earth  iu  the  spiritual  wcrld. 

411 


531  .  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Chap.  xi. 

and  power  to  resist  tliem,  thus  in  desisting  frcm  thera,  and  iu 
leading  a  new  life,  doing  all  these  things  as  of  yourselves  :  prac- 
tise this  once  or  twice  a  year,  when  you  approach  the  holy  com- 
munion, and  afterwards  when  the  sins,  of  which  you  owned 
yourselves  guilty,  recur ;  then  say  to  yourselves.  We  will  not 
consent  to  them  because  they  are  sins  against  God  ;  this  h 
actual  repentance.  AVho  cannot  perceive  that  where  a  man 
does  not  search  out  and  see  his  sins,  he  remains  in  them?  foi 
all  evil  is  delightful  to  a  man  from  his  birth  ;  it  is  delightful  to 
him  to  take  revenge,  to  commit  whoredom,  to  defraud,  to  blas- 
pheme, and  especially  to  rule  over  others  from  self-love ;  is  it 
not  the  delight  arising  from  them  which  occasions  their  not 
being  seen,  and  if  you  happen  to  be  told  that  they  are  sins,  does 
not  that  delight  prompt  you  to  make  excuses  for  them  ?  Nay 
more,  do  you  not  endeavour,  by  false  reasonings,  to  make  it 
appear  that  they  are  not  sins,  and  thus  continue  in  them,  and 
practise  them  afterwards  more  than  before,  even  till  you  no 
longer  know  what  sin  is,  or  whether  there  be  any  such  thing  or 
no  ?  It  is  widely  different  with  every  one  who  performs  actual 
repentance ;  the  evils  which  he  knows  and  acknowledges,  he 
calls  sins,  and  on  that  account  begins  to  shun  and  turn  away 
from  them,  and  at  last  no  longer  to  feel  satisfaction  in  their  de- 
lights; and  in  proportion  as  this  is  the  case,  he  sees  and  loves 
what  is  good,  and  at  length  feels  delight  in  it,  which  is  the 
delight  of  the  angels  of  heaven  ;  in  a  word,  so  far  as  any  one 
renounces  the  devil,  so  far  is  he  adopted  by  the  Lord,  and  by 
him  is  taught,  guided,  withheld  from  evil,  and  kept  in  good  ; 
this,  and  no  other,  is  the  way  which  leads  from  hell  to  heaven." 
It  is  surprising,  that  Protestants  have  a  certain  deep-rooted 
opposition  and  aversion  to  actual  repentance,  which  is  so  obsti- 
nate, that  they  cannot  force  themselves  to  self-examination, 
neither  can  they  look  at  their  sins,  nor  confess  them  before 
God  ;  for  they  are  seized  as  it  were  with  horror  at  the  bare 
thought  of  such  a  duty.  I  have  inquired  of  many  in  the  spir- 
itual world  concerning  this  circumstance,  who  all  told  me  that 
it  was  not  in  their  power  ;  and  when  they  were  informed  that 
Roman  Catholics  practise  such  duties,  that  is,  that  they  exam- 
ine themselves  and  confess  their  sins  openly  before  a  monk, 
they  have  greatly  wondered,  more  especially  as  the  Reformed 
cannot  do  the  same  in  private  before  God,  although  it  is  alike 
enjoined  them  before  they  approach  the  holy  supper;  some 
have  inquired  into  the  cause  of  this,  and  it  was  discovered  that 
it  was  the  doctrine  of  faith  alone  which  induced  such  an  im- 
penitent state,  and  such  a  heart ;  and  then  it  was  given  them 
to  see  that  such  of  the  Papists  as  worship  Christ,  and  do  not 
invoke  saints,  nor  adore  Christ's  vicar,  as  he  is  called,  or  any 
one  supposed  to  hold  the  keys  from  him,  are  saved. 

After  this,  there  was  heard  as  it  were  a  noise  of  thunder, 
412 


Chap,  xii.]  THE    APOCALYPSK    RKVEALED. 

and  a  voice  speaking  from  heaven,  and  saying,  "  We  are  aston- 
ished !  say  to  the  assembly  of  Protestants,  Believe  in  Christ, 
and  do  the  work  of  repentance,  and  you  will  be  saved."  And 
I  said  further,  '*  Is  not  baptism  a  sacrament  of  repentance,  and 
hence  an  introduction  into  the  church  ?  AVhat  else  do  the 
sponsors  promise  for  the  person  to  be  baptized,  but  that  he  will 
renounce  the  devil  and  his  works  ?  Is  not  the  holy  supper  a 
sacrament  of  repentance,  and  hence  an  introduction  into  hea- 
ven ?  for  is  it  not  declared  to  the  communicants,  that  they  must 
do  the  work  of  repentance  before  they  approach  ?  Does  not 
the  Catechism,  which  is  tiie  universal  doctrine  of  the  Christian 
church,  insist  on  repentance?  Is  it  not  said  in  the  six  com- 
mandments of  the  second  table,  Thou  shalt  not  do  this  and  that 
evil,  and  not.  Thou  shalt  do  this  and  that  good  ?  hence  you  maj' 
understand,  that  in  proportion  as  any  one  shuns  evil,  in  the 
same  proportion  he  loves  good,  and  that  before  this  he  knows 
not  what  good  is,  nor  even  what  evil  is." 


CHAPTER  Xn. 


1.  And  thei'e  appeared  a  great  sign  in  heaven  ;  a  woman 
clothed  with  the  sun,  and  the  moon  under  her  feet,  and  upon 
her  head  a  crown  of  twelve  stars. 

2.  And  she,  being  with  child,  cried,  travailing  in  birth  and 
pained  to  be  delivered. 

3.  And  there  appeared  another  sign  in  heaven;  and  behold, 
a  srreat  red  drajron,  havino;  seven  heads,  and  ten  horns,  and  seven 
diadems  upon  his  heads. 

4.  And  his  tail  drew  the  third  part  of  the  stars  of  heaven, 
and  cast  them  to  the  earth ;  and  the  dragon  stood  before  the 
woman  who  was  ready  to  be  delivered,  to  devour  her  child  as 
soon  as  it  was  born. 

5.  And  she  brought  forth  a  male  child,  who  was  to  rule  all 
nations  with  a  rod  of  iron :  and  her  child  was  caught  up  untc 
God  and  to  his  throne. 

6.  And  the  woman  fled  into  the  wilderness,  where  she  hath 
place  prepared  of  God,  that  they  should  feed  her  there  a  thou- 
sand two  hundred  and  sixty  days. 

7.  And  there  was  Avar  in  heaven  :  Michael  and  his  angels 
fought  against  the  dragon ;  and  the  dragon  fought  and  his 
angels, 

8.  And  prevailed  not,  neither  was  their  place  found  any 
more  in  heaven. 

9.  And  the  great  dragon  was  cast  out,  that  old  serpent, 
called  the  Devil  and  Satan,  which  deceiveth  the  who)e  world; 

413 


THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.        [Chap.  Xll. 

he  was  cast  out  into  the  earth,  and  his  angels  were  east  out 
with  him. 

10.  And  I  heard  a  loud  voice  saying  in  heaven,  Now  is 
come  salvation,  and  power,  and  the  kingdom  of  our  God,  and 
the  power  of  his  Christ ;  for  the  accuser  of  our  brethren  is  cast 
down,  which  accused  them  before  our  God  day  and  night. 

11.  And  thej  overcame  liim  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and 
by  the  Avord  of  their  testimony  ;  and  they  loved  not  their  lives 
unto  the  death. 

12.  Therefore  rejoi«e,  ye  heavens,  and  ye  that  dwell  in 
them.  Woe  to  the  inhabiters  of  the  earth  and  of  the  sea,  for 
the  devil  is  come  down  unto  you,  having  great  wrath,  because 
he  knoweth  that  he  hath  but  a  short  time. 

13.  And  when  the  dragon  saw  that  he  was  cast  unto  the 
earth,  he  persecuted  the  woman  who  brought  forth  the  male 
child. 

14.  And  to  the  woman  were  given  two  wings  of  a  great 
eagle,  that  she  might  fly  into  the  wilderness,  into  her  j)lace, 
where  she  is  nourished  for  a  time,  and  times,  and  half  a  time, 
from  the  face  of  the  serpent. 

15.  And  the  serpent  cast  out  of  his  mouth  water  as  a  flood 
after  the  woman,  that  he  might  cause  her  to  be  carried  away 
of  the  flood. 

16.  And  the  earth  helped  the  woman;  and  the  earth  opened 
lier  mouth,  and  swallowed  up  the  flood  which  the  dragon  cast 
out  of  his  mouth. 

17.  And  the  dragon  was  wroth  with  the  woman,  and  went 
to  make  war  with  the  remnant  of  her  seed,  who  keep  the  com- 
mandments of  God,  and  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ. 

1 8.  And  I  stood  upon  the  sand  of  the  sea.* 


THE  SPIRITUAL  SENSE. 

The  Contents  of  the  whole  Chapter.  The  subject  here 
treated  of,  is  concerning  the  New  Church  and  its  doctrine :  by 
the  woman  is  here  meant  the  New  Church,  and  by  the  child 
which  she  brought  forth,  its  doctrine :  and,  also,  concerning 
those  in  the  present  church,  who  from  doctrine  believe  in  a  trin- 
ity of  persons,  and  in  a  duality  of  the  person  of  Christ,  like- 
wise, and  in  justification  by  faith  alone ;  these  latter  being 
meant  by  the  dragon.  Then  follows  the  persecution  of  the  New 
Church  by  these,  on  account  of  its  doctrine,  and  its  protection 
by  the  Lord,  until,  from  being  confined  to  a  few,  its  reception, 
at  length,  extends  to  many. 

•  Tliis  verse,  in  the  English  translation,  is  the  first  clause  of  the  first  verse  cf 
Uie  13th  chapter;  but  in  the  Greek  Testament  it  is  the  hist  of  the  12th  chapter. 

414  ^ 


Chap,  xii.]  THE    APOCALYPSE   REVEALED. 

The  Contents  of  each  Yerse.  Y.  1,  "  And  there  api:)cared 
a  great  sign  in  heaven,"  signifies  revehition  iVoni  the  Lord  con- 
cerning the  Xew  Church  in  the  heavens  and  on  ea'rth,  and  con- 
cerning the  difficult  reception  and  resistance  whicli  its  doctrine 
meets  with :  "  A  woman  clothed  -with  the  sun,  and  the  moon 
under  her  feet,"  signifies  the  Lord's  New  Church  in  the  hea- 
vens, whicli  is  the  new  heaven,  and  the  Lord's  New  Church 
about  to  be  upon  earth,  which  is  the  New  Jerusalem:  "And 
upon  her  head  a  crown  of  twelve  stars,"  signifies  its  wisdom 
and  intelligence  from  knowledges  of  divine  good  and  divine 
truth  derived  from  the  AVord :  v.  2,  "  And  she,  being  with 
child,  cried,  travailing  in  birth,  and  pained  to  be  delivered," 
signifies  the  doctrine  of  the  New  Church  about  to  come  forth, 
and  its  difficult  reception  in  consequence  of  the  resistance  it 
meets  with  from  those  who  are  understood  by  the  dragon  :  v.  3, 
"And  there  appeared  another  sign  in  heaven,"  signifies  revela- 
tion from  the  Lord  concerning  those  who  are  against  the  New 
Church  and  its  doctrine :  "  And  behold,  a  great  red  dragon," 
signifies  those  in  the  Reformed  Church,  who  make  God  three 
and  the  Lord  two,  and  who  separate  charity  from  faith,  and 
insist  on  the  latter  being  competent  to  salvation  without  the 
former :  "  Having  seven  heads,"  signifies  insanity  from  the  fal- 
sification and  profanation  of  the  truths  of  the  Word  :  "And  ten 
liorns,''  signifies  much  power:  "And  seven  diadems  upon  his 
heads,''  signifies  all  the  truths  of  the  Word  falsified  and  pro- 
faned: v^.  4,  "And  his  tail  drew  the  third  part  of  the  stars  of 
lieaven,  and  cast  them  to  the  earth,"  signifies  that  by  falsifica- 
tions of  the  truths  of  the  Word  they  have  alienated  all  spiritual 
knowledges  uf  good  and  truth  from  the  cliurch,  and  by  applica- 
tions to  falses  have  entirely  destroyed  them  :  "  And  the  dragon 
stood  before  the  woman  who  was  ready  to  be  delivered,  to  de- 
vour her  child  as  soon  as  it  was  horn,"  signifies  that  they  who 
are  meant  by  the  dragon  will  endeavour  to  extinguish  the  doc- 
trine of  the  New  Church  at  its  birth  :  v.  5,  "And  she  l)rought 
forth  a  male  child,"  signifies  the  doctrine  of  the  New  Church : 
"Who  was  to  rule  all  nations  with  a  rod  of  iron,"  signifies 
whicii,  by  truths  from  the  literal  sense  of  the  Word,  and,  at  the 
same  ilme,  by  rational  arguments  drawn  from  the  light  of 
nature,  will  convince  all  who  are  in  dead  worship  through  being 
principled  in  faith  separated  from  charity,  that  are  willing  to  be 
convinced  :  "And  her  child  was  cauglit  up  unto  God  and  to  his 
throne,"  signifies  the  protection  of  the  doctrine  by  the  Lord, 
and  its  being  guarded  by  the  angels  of  heaven  :  v.  6,  "And  the 
woman  fled  into  the  wilderness,"  signifies  the  church  at  first 
confined  to  a  few :  "  Where  she  hath  a  place  prepared  of  God, 
that  they  should  feed  her  there  a  thousand  two  hundred  and 
sixty  days,"  signifies  the  state  of  the  church  at  that  time,  while 
provision  is  making  for  its  increase  among  many  until  it  arrives 
415 


THE   APOCALYPSE    KEVEALED.  LCIiap.  Xll. 

at  maturity:  r.  Y,  "And  there  was  war  in  heaven:  Michael  and 
his  angels  fought  against  the  dragon,  and  the  dragon  fought 
and  his  angels,"  signifies  the  falses  of  the  former  church  fight- 
ing against  the  truths  of  the  New  Church :  v.  8,  "  And  ])re- 
vailed  not,  neither  was  their  place  found  any  more  in  heaven," 
signifies  that  they  were  convicted  of  being  in  falses  and  evils, 
but  still  remained  in  them,  and  that  therefore  they  were  torn 
from  conjunction  with  heaven  and  cast  down:  v.  9,  "And  the 
great  dragon  was  cast  out,  that  old  serpent,  called  the  Devil  and 
Satan."  signifies  this  turning  from  the  Lord  to  themselves,  and 
Irom  heaven  to  the  world,  and  thence  coming  into  the  evils  of 
their  lusts  and  into  falses:  "Which  deceiveth  the  whole  world," 
signifies  that  they  pervert  all  things  of  the  church :  "  He  was 
cast  out  into  the  earth,  and  his  angels  were  cast  out  with  him," 
signifies  into  the  world  of  spirits,  which  is  intermediate  between 
heaven  and  hell,  from  whence  there  is  immediate  conjunction 
with  men  upon  earth  :  v.  10,  "And  I  heard  a  loud  voice  saying 
in  heaven,  Now  is  come  salvation,  and  power,  and  the  kingdom 
of  our  God  and  the  power  of  his  Christ,"  signifies  the  joy  of 
the  angels  of  heaven,  because  the  Lord  alone  now  reigns  in 
heaven  and  in  the  church,  and  because  they  are  saved  who 
believe  in  him  :  "  For  the  accuser  of  our  brethren  is  cast  down, 
which  accused  them  before  our  Grod  day  and  night,"  signifies 
that  by  the  last  judgment  they  are  removed  who  opposed  the 
doctrine  of  the  New  Church  :  v.  11,  "And  they  overcame  him 
by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  by  the  word  of  their  testimony," 
signifies  victory  by  the  divine  truth  of  the  Word,  and  by  the 
acknowledgment  of  the  Lord  ;  "And  they  loved  not  their  lives 
unto  the  death,"  signifies  who  loved  not  themselves  more  than 
the  Lord:  v.  12,  "Therefore  rejoice,  ye  heavens,  and  ye  that 
dwell  in  them,"  signifies  a  new  state  of  heaven,  in  that  they  are 
in  the  Lord  and  the  Lord  in  them  :  "Woe  to  the  inhabiters  of 
the  earth  and  of  the  sea !  for  the  devil  is  come  down  unto  you, 
having  great  wrath,"  signifies  lamentations  over  those  in  the 
church  who  are  in  the  falses  of  faith,  and  thence  in  evils  of  life, 
because  they  are  in  conjunction  with  the  dragon  :  "  Because  he 
knoweth  that  he  hath  but  a  short  time,"  signifies,  because  he 
knows  that  a  new  heaven  is  formed,  and  that  thus  there  is  about 
to  be  a  New  Church  upon  earth,  and  that  then  he  with  his  like 
will  be  cast  into  hell:  v.  13,  "And  when  the  dragon  saw  that 
he  was  cast  unto  the  earth,  he  persecuted  the  woman  who 
brought  forth  the  man  child,"  signifies  that  the  dragonists  in 
the  world  of  spirits,  immediately  upon  their  being  thrust  down, 
began  to  infest  the  New  Church  on  account  of  its  doctrine :  v. 
14,  "And  to  the  woman  were  given  two  wings  of  a  great  eagle, 
that  she  might  fly  into  the  wilderness,  into  her  place,"  signifies 
the  divine  circumspection  over  that  church,  and  its  protection, 
while  as  yet  confined  to  a  few :  "Where  she  is  nourished  for  a 
416 


V.  1.]  Tire    APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  532 

time,  and  times,  and  half  a  time,  from  the  face  of  the  serpent," 
signifies  that  by  reason  of  tlie  craftiness  of  seducei's,  provision 
is  made  with  circumspection  tiiat  its  numbers  may  increase 
until  it  comes  to  maturity:  v.  15,  "AtkI  the  serpent  cast  out 
of  his  mouth  water  as  a  Hood  after  the  woman,  that  lie  might 
cause  her  to  be  carried  away  of  the  flood,"  signities  ratiocina- 
tions from  falses  in  abundance,  with  a  view  to  destroy  the 
church:  v.  16,  "And  the  earth  helped  the  woman;  and  the 
earth  opened  her  mouth,  and  swallowed  up  the  flood  which  the 
dragon  cast  out  of  his  mouth,"  signifies  that  those  ratiocina- 
tions, in  all  their  abundance,  fall  to  iu)thing  before  the  spiritual 
truths  rationally  understood,  which  the  iMichaels,  of  M'liom  the 
InTcw  Church  consists,  can  bring  forward:  v.  17,  "And  the 
dragon  was  wroth  with  the  woman,  and  went  to  inake  war  witli 
the  remnant  of  her  seed,  who  keep  the  commandments  of  God, 
and  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ,"  signifies  hatred  kin- 
dled in  those  Avho  think  themselves  wise  from  their  confinnations 
of  the  mystical  union  of  Divinity  and  Humanity  in  the  Lord, 
and  of  justification  by  faith  alone,  against  those  who  acknow- 
ledge the  Lord  alone  to  be  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth,  and 
that  the  decalogue  is  the  law  of  life;  and  their  attempts  on 
novitiates  with  intent  to  seduce  them:  v.  IS,  "And  1  stood 
upon  the  sand  of  the  sea,"  signifies  his  spiritual-natural  state. 


THE  EXPLANATION. 


532.  And  there  appeared  a  great  sign  in  heaven,  signifies 
revelation  from  the  Lord  concerning  his  New  Church  in  the 
lieavensand  on  earth,  and  concerning  the  difficult  reception  and 
resistance  which  its  doctrine  meets  with.  By  a  sign  in  heaven 
18  here  meant  a  revelation  concerning  things  to  come ;  and  by 
a  great  sign  appearing  in  heaven  is  meant  a  revelation  con- 
cerning the  New  Church,  for  the  woman  clothed  with  the  sun, 
v/hich  is  the  subject  treated  of  in  tliis  chapter,  signifies  that 
church  ;  the  male  child  which  she  brought  forth  signities  its 
doctrine ;  her  being  pained  to  be  delivered  signifies  its  ditKcult 
reception  ;  the  drai^)n's  desiring  to  devour  the  male  child,  and 
his  persecuting  the  woman  afterwards,  signifies  the  resistance  it 
meets  with.  This  is  what  is  to  be  understood  by  a  great  sign 
appearing  in  heaven.  A  sign  is  mentioned  in  reference  to  things 
to  come,  and  then  constitutes  revelation  ;  it  refers  also  to  truth, 
when  it  constitutes  testification  ;  and  it  also  refers  to  the  quality 
of  any  state  and  thing,  when  it  constitutes  manifestation.  A 
sign  refei-s  to  things  to  come,  and  then  constitutes  revelation,  in 
the  following  passages:  "They  shall  show  us  what  shall  ha}>- 
pen,  that  we  may  know  their  latter  end,  or  declare  us  things 

417  B  H 


5^3  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Chap,  xil 

for  to  come,  show  us  signs  of  the  future,''''  Isaiah  xli.  22,  23. 
"  The  disciples  said  unto  Jesus,  What  shall  be  the  sign  of  thy 
coming,  and  of  the  end  of  the  world  ?"  Matt.  xxi\\  3  ;  Mark  xiii. 
4 ;  Luke  xxi.  7.  There  shall  be  signs  from  heaven,  and  signa 
in  the  sirw,  the  moon,  and  the  stars,"  Luke  xxi.  11,  25.  "  And 
then  shall  the  sign  of  the  Son  of  Man  appear,''  Matt,  xxi  v.  3. 
It  was  said  unto  king  Hezekiah,  "This  shall  be  a  sign  unto  theo 
liiat  Jehovah  will  do  this  thing,  the  shadow  of  the  degrees  in 
the  sun-dial  shall  be  brought  back."  Afterwards  Hezekiah 
said,  "What  is  the  sign  that  I  shall  go  up  into  the  house  of 
Jehovah  ?"  Isaiah  xxxviii.  7,  8,  22  ;  and  in  other  places.  That 
a  sign  refers  to  truth,  and  then  constitutes  testification,  and 
also  to  the  quality  of  any  state,  when  it  constitutes  manifesta- 
tion, is  evident  from  other  passages  in  the  Word. 

533.  A  woman  clothed  with  the  sun,  and  the  moon  under  her 
feet,  signifies  the  Lord's  New  Church  in  the  heavens,  which  is 
the  new  heaven,  and  the  Lord's  New  Church  about  to  be  upon 
earth,  which  is  the  New  Jerusalem.  That  the  Lord's  New 
Church  is  signified  by  this  woman,  results  from  all  the  particu- 
lars of  this  cluipter  being  understood  in  a  spiritual  sense ;  that 
by  a  woman,  in  other  parts  of  the  Word  also,  the  church  is  sig- 
nified, may  be  seen,  n.  434;  and  the  clmrch  is  signified,  because 
the  church  is  called  the  bride  and  wafe  of  the  Lord.  The  rea- 
son why  she  appeared  clothed  with  the  sun,  is,  because  the 
church  is  principled  in  love  to  the  Lord,  for  it  acknowledges 
him,  and  does  his  commandments,  and  this  is  to  love  him,  John 
xiv.  21 — 24 ;  that  the  sun  signifies  love,  see  n.  53.  The  reason 
why  the  moon  was  seen  under  the  woman's  feet,  is,  because  the 
church  on  earth  is  understood,  which  is  not  as  yet  conjoined 
with  the  church  in  the  heavens,  which  is  to  be  understood;  by 
the  moon  is  signified  intelligence  in  the  natural  man,  and  faith, 
n.  423 ;  and  by  appearing  under  the  feet  is  signified  that  it  is 
about  to  be  upon  earth ;  otherwise,  by  feet  is  signified  the 
church  itself  when  it  is  conjoined.  It  is  to  be  observed,  that 
there  is  a  church  in  the  heavens  as  w^ell  as  on  earth,  for  there 
also  is  the  Word  ;  there  are  temples  also,  and  sermons  delivered 
in  them,  and  ministerial  and  priestl}^  offices  ;  for  all  angels  there 
were  once  men,  and  their  departure  out  of  the  world  was  only 
a  continuation  of  their  life  ;  therefore  they  are  also  perfected  in 
love  and  wisdom,  every  one  according  to  the  degree  of  the 
aflfection  of  truth  and  good  which  he  took  with  him  out  of  the 
Avorld.  The  church  among  them  is  here  understood  by  the 
woman  clothed  with  the  sun,  who  had  upon'  her  head  a  crown 
of  twelve  stars  ;  but  as  the  church  in  the  heavens  cannot  sub- 
sist, except  there  be  also  a  church  on  earth,  which  is  in  con- 
cordant love  and  wisdom,  and  as  this  was  about  to  be,  therefore 
the  moon  w^as  seen  under  the  feet  of  the  woman,  which  here 
specifically  signifes  faith,  such  as  it  is  at  this  day,  in  which  there 
418 


V.  1,  2.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  634,  535 

ig  no  conjunction.  The  reason  wliy  a  church  cannot  subsist  in 
the  heavens  unless  there  is  a  churcli  on  earth  in  conjunction 
with  it,  is,  because  lieaven  Avliere  angels  are,  and  the  church 
where  men  are,  act  as  one,  like  the  internal  and  external  in 
man  ;  and  the  internal  in  man  cannot  subsist  in  its  state,  unless 
a!i  external  l)e  conjoined  with  it;  for  an  internal  without  an 
extenuil  is  like  a  house  without  a  foundation,  or  like  seed  upon 
the  o;round  and  not  in  the  ground,  thus  like  any  thing  without 
a  root;  in  a  word,  like  a  cause  without  an  eft'ect  in  wliich  it 
may  exist.  From  what  has  been  said,  it  may  be  seen  how  ab- 
solutel}'  necessary  it  is  that  there  should  be  a  church  somewhere 
in  the  world,  where  the  Word  is,  and  where  the  Lord  is  known 
thereby. 

534.  And  upon  her  head  a  crown  of  twelve  stai's,  signifies  its 
wisdom  and  intelligence  from  knowledges  of  divine  good  and 
divine  truth  derived  from  the  Word.  By  the  crown  on  her 
liead  is  signified  wisdom  and  intelligence,  n.  189,  235,  252;  by 
stars  are  signified  the  knowledges  of  divine  good  and  divine 
truth  derived  from  the  AVord,  n.  51,  420;  and  by  twelve  are 
signified  all  things  of  the  church,  which  have  relation  to  its 
good  and  truth,  n.  348  ;  consequently,  by  a  crown  of  twelve 
stars  on  the  woman's  head,  is  signified  the  wisdom  and  intelli- 
gence of  the  New  Church  from  the  knowledges  of  divine  good 
and  divine  truth  derived  from  the  Word. 

535.  And  she,  heing  with  child,  cried,  travailing  in  Mrth,  and 
pained  to  he  delivered,  signifies  the  doctrine  of  the  New  Church 
about  to  come  forth,  and  its  difficult  reception  in  consequence 
of  tiie  resistance  it  meets  with  from  tlioso  \vho  are  understood 
by  the  dragon.  To  be  with  child  signifies  the  birth  of  doctrine, 
because  by  the  child  which  was  in  the  womb,  whose  birth  is 
treated  of  in  verse  5,  is  signified  the  doctrine  of  the  New 
Church  ;  for  nothing  else  is  signified  by  being  with  child,  or  in 
travail,  and  bringing  forth,  in  the  spiritual  sense  of  the  Word, 
but  to  conceive  and  bring  forth  those  things  which  relate  to 
spiritual  life,  concerning  which,  presently.  By  "she  cried, 
travailing  in  l)irth,  and  pained  to  be  delivered,"  is  signified  the 
difittcult  reception  of  that  doctrine,  because  of  resistance  from 
those  who  are  understood  by  the  dragon ;  this  is  plain  from 
what  follows  in  this  chapter,  as  the  dragon  standing  before  the 
woman  who  was  ready  to  be  delivered,  to  devour  her  child,  and 
afterwards  pui-suing  her  into  the  wilderness.  That  by  being 
with  child,  travailiu'^  in  birth,  and  bringing  forth,  nothing  else 
is  signified  in  the  Word,  a])pears  from  the  following  passages: 
Jesus  said,  "Except  a  man  be  Ixtrn  again,  he  cannot  enter  into 
the  kingdom  oi  God ;  that  which  is  horri  of  the  flesh  is  flesh, 
but  that  which  is  horn  of  the  spirit  is  spirit,"  John  iii.  3 — 6. 
"Sing,  O  barren,  that  didst  not  hear^  cry  aloud,  thou  that  didst 
not  travail  with  child^  for  more  are  the  children  of  the  desolate 

419 


536,  537  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Cluip.   Xll. 

tban  the  cliildren  of  the  married  wife,"  Isaiah  liv.  1.  "They 
have  ceased  until  the  barren  hiath  home  seven,  and  she  that  had 
many  children  is  waxed  feeble,"  1  Sam.  ii.  5.  By  the  barren 
are  signified  the  Gentiles,  who  had  no  genuine  trnths,  l)ecause 
they  had  not  the  AVord  ;  by  the  married  wife  and  the  mother  of 
many  children  are  signified  the  Jews  who  were  in  possession  ot 
the  Word.  "  She  that  hath  hori^e  seven  languisheth,  she  hath 
given  up  the  ghost,"  Jerem.  xv.  9 ;  speaking  also  of  the  Jews, 
*^  We  have  conceived,  we  have  been  in  pain,  we  have  as  it  were 
brought  forth  wind,  we  have  not  wrought  any  deliverance  in 
the  earth,"  Isaiah  xxvi.  16.  "  Before  she  travailed  she  hroxight 
forth,  \)<&io\Q  her  pain  came  site  was  delivered  of  a  man-child  ; 
shall  the  earth  be  made  to  hring  forth  in  one  day,  shall  a  nation 
be  horn  at  once  ?  shall  I  bring  to  the  hirth,  and  not  cause  to 
hring  forth,  and  shut  the  wornhV  Isaiah  Ixvi.  7 — 10.  "Thou, 
O  earth,  hring  est  forth  at  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  at  the  pres- 
ence of  the  God  of  Jacob,"  Psalm  cxiv.  7.  "This  is  the  day 
of  trouble,  for  the  children  are  come  to  the  hirth,  and  there  is 
not  strength  to  hring  fort  Jt,^''  Isaiah  xxxvii.  3.  "Sin  shall  be 
in  travail,  and  No  shall  be  rent  asunder,"  Ezek.  xxx.  15,  16. 
"I  have  heard  a  voice  as  of  a  woman  in  travail,  as  of  her  that 
hringeth  forth  her  first  child,  the  voice  of  the  daughter  of  Zion, 
she  bewailetli  herself,  she  spreadeth  her  hands.  Woe  is  me,  my 
soul  is  wearied  because  of  murderers,"  Jerem.  iv.  31.  "Pangs 
and  sorrows  shall  take  hold  of  them,  they  shall  be  in  pain  as  a 
woman  that  travaileth,''''  Isaiah  xiii.  6 — S.  "The  iniqnity  of 
Ephraim  is  bonnd  up,  the  sorroAvs  of  a  travailing  woman  shall 
come  upon  him  ;  he  is  an  unwise  son,  for  he  should  not  stay 
long  in  the  breaking  fu-th  of  children,"  Hosea  xiii.  12,  13. 
"  Ephraim,  thy  glory  shall  fly  away  like  a  bird,  from  the  hirth, 
and  from  the  loomh,  and  from  conception :  give  them,  O  Jeho- 
vah, a  miscarrying  woinb,  and  dry  breasts :  even  when  they 
have  conceived,  I  will  slay  the  beloved  of  their  woinh,^^  Hosea 
ix.  11,  12,  14,  16.  In  these  passages  also  is  described  the  dif- 
ficulty of  receiving  the  truths  of  doctrine  from  the  Word,  by 
many  circumstances  relating  to  pain  in  bringing  forth,  and  in 
like  manner  in  many  other  places.  Moreover,  Jehovah,  that 
is,  the  Lord,  is  called  the  Former  from  the  womb,  Isaiah  xliv. 
2,  24 ;  xlix.  1,  5  ;  and  by  former  from  the  womb  is  meant  the 
reformer. 

536.  And  there  appeared  another  sign  in  heaven,  signifies 
revelation  from  the  Lord  concerning  those  who  are  against  the 
New  Church  and  its  doctrine.  By  a  sign  is  signified  revela- 
tion from  the  Lord,  as  above,  n,  532.  It  is  called  another  sign, 
because  it  is  a  revelation  concerning  those  who  will  be  against 
the  New  Chui-ch. 

537.  And  hehold,  a  great  red  dragon,  signifies  those  in  tha 
Kefoi-med  Church  who  make  God  three,  and  the  Lord  two,  and 

420 


7.  2,  3.]  TUK  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  53V 

separate  charity  tVom  faitli,  and  insist  on  the  hitter  hohig  com- 
petent to  salvation  without  the  former.  Such  are  here  meant, 
and  in  what  follows,  hy  the  dra<j::on  ;  for  they  are  aj^ainst  the 
two  essentials  of  the  New  Church,  which  are,  that  God  is  one 
in  essence  and  in  person,  in  Avhom  there  is  a  trinity,  and  that 
the  Lord  is  that  God ;  also  that  charity  and  faith  arc  a  one  aa 
an  essence  and  its  form  ;  and  tluit  none  have  charity  and  faith, 
but  they  who  live  according  to  the  commandments  of  the  deca- 
logue, which  ?ay  that  evils  are  not  to  be  done  ;  and  in  propor- 
tion as  any  one  does  not  commit  evils,  by  shunning  them  "as 
sins  against  God,  in  the  same  proportion  he  does  the  goods 
wdiich  relate  to  charity,  and  believes  the  truths  wliich  relate  to 
faith.  That  they  who  make  God  three,  and  the  Lord  two,  and 
who  separate  charity  from  faith,  and  consider  the  latter  compe- 
tent to  salvation  without  the  former,  are  opjjosed  to  those  two 
essentials  of  the  New  Church,  may  be  seen  by  any  one  wlio 
considers  the  matter.  It  is  said,  who  make  God  three,  and 
the  Lord  two,  by  whom  are  understood  those  who  think  of  threu 
persons  as  three  Gods,  and  sejjarate  the  Lord's  Humanity  from 
his  Divinity  :  and  who  thinks  otherwise,  or  can  think  otherwise, 
wliilst,  according  to  a  formula  of  faith,  he  prays,  '•  That  God 
the  Father  for  the  sake  of  the  Son  would  send  the  Holy  SjnritT' 
Does  he  not  pray  to  God  the  Father  as  to  one  God,  and  for  the 
sake  of  the  Son  as  another,  and  concerning  the  Holy  Spirit  as 
a  third?  From  which  it  is  evident  that  although  in  thought  he 
makes  three  persons  one  God,  still  he  divides  them,  that  is, 
divides  his  idea  into  three  gods,  when  he  so  prays ;  the  same 
formula  of  faith  also  makes  the  Lord  two,  since  tlie  Lord's 
Humanity  is  then  alone  thought  of,  and  not  at  the  same  time 
his  Divinity,  seeing  that  for  the  sake  of  the  Son  means  for  the 
sake  of  his  Humanity  which  suffered  on  the  cross.  From  what 
lias  been  said,  it  may  now  appear  who  they  are  that  are  meant 
by  the  dragon,  who  fain  would  have  devoured  the  woman's 
child,  and  afterwards  pursued  the  woman  into  the  wilderness  on 
account  of  her  child.  The  reason  why  he  is  called  a  great  dra- 
gon, is,  because  all  the  Reformed  Churches  distinguish  God 
into  three  persons,  and  make  faith  alone  saving,  except  some 
here  and  there,  who  do  not  think  alike  concerning  the  trinity, 
and  concerning  faith  :  they  who  divide  God  into  three  persons, 
and  adhere  to  these  words  of  the  Athanasian  doctrine:  "•There 
is  one  i)erson  of  the  Father,  another  of  the  Son,  and  another  of 
the  Holy  Gliost ;"  and  also  to  these:  "The  Father  is  God,  the 
Son  is  God,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  is  God  :"  these,  I  say,  caimot 
make  one  God  of  three  ;  they  may  indeed  say  that  they  are  one 
God,  but  they  cannot  think  so.  In  like  maimer  they  who 
think  concerning  the  Lord's  divinity  from  eternity  as  concern- 
ing the  second  person  of  the  Divinity,  and  concerning  his  Hu- 
liianitv  in  time  as  concerning  the  humanity  of  another  man, 
421 


538  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Chap.  xii. 

cannot  do  otherwise  than  make  two  of  the  Lord,  although  it 
is  said  in  the  Athanasian  doctrine  that  his  Divinity  and  Human 
ity  are  one  person,  united  as  the  soul  and  body.  The  reason 
why  the  dragon  is  called  red,  is,  because  red  signifies  what  is 
false  from  the  evils  of  the  concupiscences,  which  is  the  infernal 
false  principle.  Now  because  these  two  essentials  of  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Reformed  Churches  are  falses,  and  as  falses  devas- 
tate the  church,  since  they  take  away  its  truths  and  goods, 
therefore  they  were  represented  by  a  dragon  ;  the  reason  is,  be- 
cause by  a  dragon,  in  the  Word,  is  signihed  the  devastation  of 
the  church ;  as  may  appear  from  the  following  passages :  "  1 
will  make  Jerusalem  heaps,  a  habitation  of  dragons^  and  I  will 
make  the  cities  of  Judah  desolate,"  Jerem.  ix.  11.  "Behold, 
a  great  commotion  out  of  the  north  country,  to  make  the  cities 
of  Judah  desolate,  a  hahitatiori  of  dragons^''''  Jerem.  x.  22. 
"Hazor  shall  be  a  habitation  of  dragons,  a  desolation  for  ever," 
Jerem.  xlix.  33.  "  That  it  may  be  a  habitation  of  df'ago?is,  a 
court  for  owls,"  Isaiah  xxxiv.  13.  "  In  the  habitation  of  dra- 
gons where  each  lay,"  Isaiah  xxxv.  7.  "  I  will  go  stripped  and 
naked,  I  will  make  a  wailing  like  the  dragons,  and  mourning 
like  the  owls,"  Micah  i.  8.  "  I  cried,  I  am  a  brother  to  dra- 
gons,  and  a  companion  to  owls,"  Job  xxx.  28,  29.  "  The  wild 
beasts  shall  cry  in  their  desolate  houses,  and  dragons  in  their 
pleasant  palaces,"  Isaiah  xiii.  22.  "  And  Babylon  shall  become 
heaps,  a  habitation  of  dragons,  an  astonisliment  and  a  hissing," 
Jerem.  li.  37.  "  Thou  hast  broken  us  in  the  place  of  dragons, 
and  covered  us  with  the  shadow  of  death,"  Psalm  xliv.  19,  20. 
"  I  have  laid  the  mountains  of  Esau  and  his  heritage  waste  for 
the  dragons  of  the  wilderness,^^  Malachi  i.  3 ;  besides  other 
places  ;  as  in  Isaiah  xliii.  20  ;  Jerem.  xiv.  6  ;  Psalm  xci.  13, 14; 
Dent,  xxxii.  33.  That  by  the  dragon  are  here  meant  those  who 
are  in  feith  alone,  and  reject  the  works  of  the  law  as  not  con- 
ducive to  salvation,  has  sometimes  been  proved  to  me  in  the 
world  of  spirits  by  lively  experience  ;  I  have  seen  several  thou- 
sands of  them  assembled  together,  when  they  have  appeared  at 
a  distance  like  a  dragon  with  a  long  tail,  that  seemed  full  of 
prickles  like  thorns,  which  signified  falses.  Once,  also,  there 
appeared  a  dragon  still  larger,  who,  raising  his  back  and  lifting 
up  his  tail  towards  heaven,  endeavoured  to  draw  down  the  stare 
from  thence.  Thus  I  have  had  ocular  demonstration  that  no 
others  are  meant  by  the  dragon. 

538.  Having  seven  heads,  signifies  insanity  from  the  falsifi- 
cation and  profanation  of  the  truths  of  the  Word.  By  the 
head  is  signified  wisdom  and  intelligence,  and,  in  an  opposite 
sense,  insanity ;  but  by  seven  heads  here,  belonging  to  the 
dragon,  is  signified,  properly,  insanity  from  the  falsification  and 
profanation  of  the  truths  of  the  Word  ;  for  seven  is  predicated 
of  things  holy,  and,  in  an  opposite  sense,  of  things  profane,  a 
422 


V.  3.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.  539.  540 

173;  therefore,  it  follows,  that  on  liis  heads  there  appeared  seven 
diadems,  and  by  diadems  are  sii;-niiied  the  truths  <jf  the  Word, 
which  are  here  falsitied  and  profaned.  That  hy  the  head  is  sinj- 
iiified  M'isdom  and  intelligence,  is  plain  from  these  passages: 
"I  will  give  you  wise  men,  and  of  understanding,  and  make 
them  rulers  over  you,"  Deut.  i.  13.  "  Jehovah  hath  closed 
your  eyes,  the  prophets,  and  3'our  rulers^  the  seers,  hath  lie 
covered,"  Isaiah  xxix.  10.  By  the  head  of  Nebuchadnezzar's 
iiiiage,  which  consisted  of  pure  gold,  Dan.  ii.  32,  nothing  else 
is  signified  but  the  wisdom  of  the  first  age,  Avhich  prevailed 
among  the  men  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church.  By  the  head,  in 
an  opposite  sense,  is  signified  insanity  and  folly  ;  in  David  : 
"  God  shall  wound  the  head  of  his  enemies,  the  hairy  scalp  of 
him  who  goeth  on  in  his  trespasses,"  Psalm  Ixviii.  21 ;  nor  in 
any  thing  else  signified  by  the  head  of  the  serjieiit,  which  was  to 
be  trod  under  foot.  Gen.  iii.  15  ;  and  by  smiting  the  head  over 
many  countries.  Psalm  ex.  6,  7;  also  by  putting  dust  on  the 
head ;  and  by  shaving  the  Jiead,  and  putting  the  hand  on  the 
head^  when  they  were  ashamed,  or  grieved  at  having  acted  in- 
sanely, or  contrary  to  wisdom,  Isaiah  vii.  20  ;  xv.  2  ;  Ezek.  vii. 
18  ;  xxvii.  30  ;  Jerem.  ii.  37 ;  xiv.  3,  4 ;  Lament,  ii.  10  ;  2  Sam. 
xiii.  19.  Further,  by  seven  heads  is  also  signified  insanity  from 
the  falsification  and  profanation  of  truths,  in  what  follows,  Apoc. 
xiii.  1,  3 ;  xvii.  3,  7,^  9. 

539.  And  ten  horns,  signifies  much  ])ower,  A  horn  signi- 
fies power,  11.  270  ;  and  ten  signifies  much,  n.  101.  The  reason 
why  it  is  said  that  the  dragon  has  much  power,  is,  because  the 
salvation  of  man  by  faith  alone,  without  the  works  of  the  law, 
which  faith  is  meant  by  the  dragon,  captivates  men's  minds, 
and  the  result  of  this  is,  that  confirmations  exert  a  persuasive 
influence:  it  captivates,  because  man,  on  hearing  that  the  dam- 
nation of  the  law  is  taken  away,  and  the  Lord's  merit  is  im- 
puted to  him  thrDugh  faith  therein  alone,  can  indulge  in  the 
pleasures  of  his  mind  and  body,  without  any  fear  of  hell;  hence 
comes  the  power  which  is  signified  by  the  ten  horns  of  the  dra- 
gon. That  such  has  be^n  his  power,  evidently  appears  from  the 
reception  of  that  faith  everywhere  throughout  the  reformed 
Christian  world. 

540.  A?ul  seven  diadems  upon  his  heads,  signifies  all  the 
truths  of  the  Word  falsified  and  jirofaned.  By  diadems,  or  pre- 
cious stones,  are  signified  the  truths  of  the  Word  ;  specifically, 
the  truths  of  the  literal  sense  of  the  Word,  but  here,  those 
truths  falsified  and  profaned,  from  tlieir  being  seen  upon  the 
seven  heads  of  the  dragon,  by  Mdiich  is  signified  insanity  from 
truths  falsified  and  {)rofaned,  n.  538.  That  by  diadems,  or  pre- 
cious stones,  are  signified  the  truths  of  the  the  literal  sense  of  the 
Word,  maybe  seen  in  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jevusalein  con- 
cerning  the  Sacred  Scripture,  n.  43 — 45 ;  where  it  is  shown 

423 


541  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED,  [Chap.  Xli. 

that  divine  truths  in  their  ultimates,  which  are  the  truths  of 
the  literal  sense  of  the  Word,  are  signitied  by  the  twelve  pre- 
eioxis  stones  in  the  breast-plate  of  Aaron,  which  was  the  Urim 
and  Thummim,  Exod.  xxviii.  6,  15 — 21,  30  ;  and  by  the  p)'*"^- 
eious  stones  in  the  garden  of  Eden,  in  which  the  king  of  Tyre 
is  said  to  have  been,  Ezek.  xxviii.  12,  13  ;  also  by  the  twelve 
precious  stones,  of  which  the  foundations  of  the  wall  of  the 
New  Jerusalem  consisted,  Apoc.  xxi.  17 — 20.  The  truths  of 
the  literal  sense  of  the  Word  are  signified  by  diadems,  or  pre- 
cious stones,  because  all  things  of  the  literal  sense  of  the  Word 
are  transparent  in  the  sight  of  angels,  by  virtue  of  its  spiritual 
sense,  thus  from  the  light  of  heaven,  in  which  the  spiritual 
truths  of  the  Word  are ;  for  a  stone,  in  the  Word,  signifies 
truth  in  ultimates  ;  hence,  a  precious  stone  signifies  that  truth 
as  being  transparent.  The  reason  wh}^  the  truths  of  the  Word, 
when  falsified  and  profaned,  are  also  called  diadems,  is,  because 
they  have  a  lustre  from  themselves,  whether  they  be  possessed 
by  this  person  or  that ;  in  the  same  manner  as  diadems  on 
earth,  in  whatever  hands  they  may  happen  to  be.  It  has  some- 
times been  permitted  me  to  see  adulterous  women,  on  their  first 
coming  from  the  earth  into  the  world  of  spirits,  decked  with 
diadems ;  and  Jews,  likewise,  selling  diadems,  which  they  had 
procured  to  themselves  from  heaven;  from  which  circumstance 
it  was  plain,  that  evils  and  falses,  with  such,  do  not  change  the 
lustre  and  light  of  the  truths  of  the  AVord.  Therefore  the  like 
is  signified  by  the  ten  diadems  upon  the  horns  of  the  beast  which 
came  up  out  of  the  sea,  Apoc.  xiii.  1  ;  and  by  the  precious 
stones  on  the  woman  who  sat  on  the  scarlet-coloured  beast, 
Apoc.  xvii.  3 — 5.  That  the  truths  of  the  Word  are  what  are 
signified  by  diadems,  appears  manifestly  in  the  Apocalypse,  in 
that  there  were  seen  upon  the  head  of  him  who  sat  upon  the 
white  horse,  and  whose  name  was  the  Word  of  God,  many  dior 
dems,  xix.  12,  13. 

541.  And  his  tail  drew  the  third  part  of  the  stars  of  heaven, 
and  did  cast  them  to  the  earth,  signifies  that  by  falsifications 
of  the  truths  of  the  Word  they  have  "alienated  all  spiritual 
knowledges  of  good  and  truth  from  the  church,  and,  by  applica- 
tions to  falses,  have  entirely  destroyed  them.  By  the  tail,  when 
the  subject  treated  of  relates  to  those  who  have  confirmed  heret- 
ical doctrines  from  the  Word,  are  signified  the  truths  of  the 
Word  falsified,  n.  438 ;  by  stars  are  signified  spiritual  know- 
ledges of  good  and  truth,  n.  51,  420  ;  by  the  third  part  is  sig- 
nified all,  n.  400,  505  ;  and  by  drawing  them  from  heaven,  and 
casting  them  to  the  earth,  is  signified  to  alienate  them  from  the 
church,  and  to  destroy  them  utterly ;  for  when  they  are  drawn 
from  heaven,  they  are  also  drawn  from  the  church,  because 
every  truth  of  the  Word  is  insinuated  from  the  Lord  through 
heaxcK  into  the  man  of  the  church  ;  nor  are  truths  drawn  away 
424 


V.   3,  4,]  THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.  541 

by  any  thing  else  but  by  i'alsifications  of  tliem  in  tbe  AVonl, 
since  there  and  thence  are  the  truths  of  lieaven  and  the  church, 
Tliat  all  the  truths  of  the  Word  have  been  destroyed  by  those 
who  are  meant  by  the  dragon  spoken  of  above,  n.  537,  cannot 
06  believed  by  any  one  in  the  world,  and  yet  they  have  been  so 
destroyed,  as  that  not  a  single  doctrinal  trutli  i-cniains;  this 
matter  was  examined  into,  in  the  spiritual  world,  among  tlio 
learned  of  the  clergy,  and  was  found  to  bo  the  fact.  The  rea- 
sons I  know,  but  I  shall  here  mention  only  one  of  them  ; — they 
assert,  that  whatsoever  proceeds  from  man's  will  and  judgment 
is  not  good ;  and  that  therefore  the  goods  of  charity,  or  good 
works,  being  done  by  man,  contribute  nothing  to  salvation,  but 
faith  only  ;  when,  nevertheless,  that  alone,  by  virtue  of  which 
nnin  is  man,  and  by  which  he  has  conjunction  with  the  Lord,  is 
liis  having  it  in  his  power  to  do  good  and  believe  trutli,  us  from 
himself,  that  is,  as  from  his  own  will  according  to  his  own  judg- 
ment ;  were  this  faculty  to  be  taken  away  from  him,  all  ])0wer 
of  conjunction  on  the  part  of  man  with  the  Lord  would  also 
be  taken  away  at  the  same  time,  and  of  the  Lord  with  man  ; 
for  it  constitutes  that  power  of  reciprocation  of  love,  which  the 
Lord  bestows  on  every  one  who  is  born  a  man,  and  which  he 
also  preserves  in  him  to  the  end  of  his  life,  and  afterwards  tc 
eternity.  If  this  power  were  to  be  taken  away  from  man,  every 
truth  and  good  of  the  Word  would  also  be  taken  away,  inso- 
much that  the  Word  would  be  nothing  ])ut  a  dead  letter  and 
a  blank  book  ;  for  the  Word  teaches  nothing  else  but  the  con- 
junction of  man  with  the  Lord  by  charity  and  faith,  and  both 
from  man  as  from  himself.  They  who  are  meant  by  the  dragon 
spoken  of  above,  n.  537,  have  broken  this  oidy  bond  of  con- 
i unction,  by  asserting  that  the  goods  of  charity,  or  good  works, 
wliich  proceed  from  man,  and  his  will  and  judgment,  are  oidy 
moral,  civil,  and  political  works,  by  which  man  has  conjunction 
with  the  world,  and  none  at  all  with  God  and  with  heaven  ; 
and  when  that  bond  is  thus  broken,  there  is  then  no  doctrinal 
truth  of  the  Word  remaining;  and  if  the  truths  of  tlie  Word 
are  applied  to  confirm,  that  faith  alone  is  saving  without  the 
works  of  the  law,  then  they  are  all  falsified  ;  and  if  tiie  falsifica- 
tion ])roceeds  so  far  as  to  attirm,  that  the  Lord  has  not  com- 
manded good  works  in  the  Word  for  the  sake  of  man's  con- 
junction with  himself,  but  only  for  the  sake  of  his  conjunction 
with  the  world,  then  tlie  truths  of  the  Word  are  ])rofaiied  ;  for 
thus  the  Word  becomes  no  longer  a  Holy  Book,  but  a  profane 
one :  but  see  the  experience  on  this  subject  at  the  end  of  the 
chapter.  The  like  things  are  signified  by  these  words  in  Daniel, 
concerning  the  he-goat :  The  he-goat  with  his  horn  cast  down 
some  of  the  host  of  heaven  and  of  the  stars  to  the  ground,  and 
stamped  upon  them ;  and  he  cast  down  truth  to  the  ground, 
viii.  10,  11. 
425 


54:2,  543  •        THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED,         ""Cl^ap.  Xll. 

542.  And  the  dragon  stood  hefore  the  looman  who  was  ready 
to  he  delivered,  to  devour  her  child  as  soon  as  it  was  horn,  sig- 
nifies that  they  who  are  meant  by  the  dragon  will  endeavour  to 
extinguish  the  doctrine  of  the  Xew  Church  at  its  birth.  Who 
they  are  that  are  meant  by  the  dragon. may  be  seen  above,  n. 
537  ;  that  by  the  woman  is  signified  the  New  Church,  n.  533 ; 
that  by  bringing  forth  is  signified  to  receive  the  goods  and 
truths  of  doctrine  from  the  Word,  n.  535;  that  by  the  child  of 
which  she  was  delivered  is  signified  the  doctrine  of  the  New 
Church,  will  be  seen  in  the  next  article.  To  devour  signifies 
to  extinguish,  because  by  a  child  is  signified  doctrine  ;  and  when 
to  devour  is  said  in  relation  to  the  child,  to  extinguish  is  said  in 
relation  to  doctrine.  The  reason  why  this  was  the  case  at  the 
birth  of  the  doctrine,  is,  because  it  is  said,  that  the  dragon 
stood  before  the  woman,  for  to  devour  her  child  as  soon  as  it 
was  born. 

543.  And  she  hrought  forth  a  male  child,  signifies  the  doc- 
trine of  the  New  Cliurch.  By  a  son,  in  the  Word,  is  signified 
the  truth  of  doctrine,  and  also  the  understanding,  and  thence 
the  thought,  of  truth  and  good  ;  but  by  a  daughter  is  signified 
the  good  of  doctrine,  as  also  the  will,  and  thence  the  affection, 
of  truth  and  good ;  and  by  a  male  child  is  signified  truth  con- 
ceived in  the  spiritual  man,  and  born  in  the  natural  man.  The 
reason  is,  because  by  generations  and  births,  in  tlie  Word,  are 
signified  spiritual  generations  and  births,  all  which  in  general 
relate  to  good  and  truth,  n.  535  ;  for  nothing  else  is  begotten 
and  born  of  the  Lord  as  a  husband,  and  of  the  church  as  a  wife. 
Now  since  by  the  woman  who  brougiit  forth  is  signified  the 
New  Church,  n.  533,  it  is  plain  that  by  the  male  child  is  sig- 
nified the  doctrine  of  that  church.  The  doctrine  here  meant  is 
The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jeruscdem,  published  in  London,  1758 : 
as  also  The  Doctrines  concerning  the  Lord,  concerning  The 
Sacred  Scripture,  and  concerning  A  Life  according  to  the  Com- 
tnandments  of  the  Decalogue,  published  in  Amsterdam  ;  for  by 
doctrine  are  understood  all  the  truths  of  doctrine,  doctrine  being 
the  complex  of  them.  When  these  doctrines  were  written,  the 
dragonists  stood  around  me,  and  endeavoured,  with  all  their 
fury,  to  devour  or  to  extinguish  them  ;  this  strange  circum- 
stance it  was  permitted  me  to  relate,  because,  of  a  truth,  it  so 
happened.  The  dragonists  who  stood  around  me  were  from  all 
parts  of  the  reformed  Christian  world.  Seeing  that  a  spiritual 
marriage  gives  birth  to  no  other  offspring,  a  male  offspring  de- 
noting truth  and  good  in  the  understanding  and  thence  in  the 
thought;  and  a  female  oft'spring  denoting  truth  and  good  in  the 
Avill,  and  thence  in  the  affections  ;  therefore,  by  a  son,  in  the 
Word,  is  signified  truth  ;  by  way  of  confirmation,  some  passages 
shall  be  adduced,  from  which  this  may  in  some  measure  be 
seen :  "  Lo,  sons  are  an  heritage  of  Jehovah,  and  the  fruit  of 

426 


V.  4,  5.J  THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.  64^ 

tlie  loomh  is  his  reward ;  as  arrows  in  tlie  hand  of  a  injfijlity 
man,  so  are  the  children  of  ijoutJi^''  Psalm  cxxvii.  3 — 5.  "  Make 
thee  bald,  and  poll  thee  for  the  sons  of  thy  delight,  for  they  are 
Ejoiie  from  thee,"  Micah  i.  16.  "I  saw  two  olive-trees  upon 
the  right  side  of  the  candlestick,  and  he  said.  These  are  the  two 
sons  (f  the  olive-tree  that  stand  by  the  Lord  of  the  whole  earth,'' 
Zech.  iv.  11,  14.  "My  tabernacle  is  spoiled,  my  sons  are  gone 
forth  froni  me,  and  they  are  not,"  Jerem.  x.  20.  "  My  xons  are 
become  desolate,  because  the  enemy  hath  prevailed,"  Lament.. 
1.  16.  "  Thy  sons,  O  Jerusalem,  have  fainted,  tliev  lie  at  the 
liead  of  all  the  streets,"  Isaiah  li.  17,  18,  20.  "  The  fathers 
Fihall  eat  the  so?is  in  the  midst  of  thee,  and  the  sons  shall  eat 
their  fathers,  and  the  whole  remnant  of  thee  will  I  scatter  to  all 
the  winds,"  Ezek.  v,  10.  "The  son  shall  be  divided  against  the 
father,  and  the  father  against  the  6W?,"  Matt.  x.  21 ;  Mark  xiii. 
12  ;  Luke  xii.  53.  "  Thou  hast  taken  the  fair  jewels  of  my  gold, 
and  hast  made  to  thyself  images  of  a  male,  and  didst  commit 
Avhoredom  with  them,"  Ezek.  xvi.  17.  Jesus  said,  "  The  seed 
are  the  sotis  of  the  Idngdom,  and  the  tares  are  tlie  so7is  of  the 
evil  one,''''  Matt.  xiii.  38.  That  the  Son  of  Man  is  the  divine 
truth  of  the  Word,  thus  the  Lord,  may  be  seen  in  2'he  Dootrine 
of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Lord,  n.  19 — 28.  In  the 
passages  quoted  above,  by  sons,  are  meant  they  who  are  in 
truths  of  doctrine  from  the  AVord,  and,  abstractedly,  the  truths 
themselves;  in  like  manner  in  other  places  ;  as  in  Isaiah  xiii. 
17,  18 ;  xiv.  21—23  ;  xliii.  6  ;  xlix.  17,  22  ;  li.  17,  18 ;  Ix.  9 ; 
Jerem.  iii.  24,  25 ;  v.  17 ;  Ezek.  xiv.  16—18,  20 ;  xvi.  20,  26, 
45 ;  XX.  26,  31 ;  xxiii.  37 ;  Hosea  xi.  9—11 ;  Zech,  ix.  13 ; 
Psalm  cxliv.  11,  12  ;  Dent,  xxxii.  8.  That  by  a  daughter  is 
signilicd  the  affection  of  the  truth  of  the  church,  thus  the  church 
as  to  that  affection,  appears  from  so  many  passages  in  the  Word, 
that  to  adduce  them  would  till  several  pages ;  nothing  else  is 
meaiit  by  the  daughter  of  Tilon,  the  daughter  of  Jerusalem,  the 
daughter  of  Judah,  the  daughter  of  Israel.  Some  passages  re- 
specting tlie  daughter  of  Zion  may  be  seen  adduced,  n.  612. 
Who  cannot  see  that  not  any  daughter  of  Zion,  Jerusalem,  Ju- 
dah, and  Israel,  so  often  mentioned  in  the  Word,  can  possibly 
be  meant? 

544.  Who  was  to  rule  all  nations  with  a  rod  of  iron,  sig- 
nifies which,  by  truths  from  the  literal  sense  of  the  Word,  and, 
at  the  same  time,  by  rational  arguments  drawn  from  the  light 
of  nature,  will  convince  all  who  are  in  dead  worship  through 
being  principled  in  faith  separated  from  charity,  that  are  will- 
ing to  be  convinced.  This  refers  to  the  doctrine  of  the  New 
Church,  because  it  is  spoken  of  the  male  child,  by  whom  that 
doctrine  is  signified,  n.  543  ;  to  rule  signifies  to  teach  and  in- 
struct, n.  3S3  ;  here,  to  convince  those  who  are  willing  to  be 
convinced  ;  by  nations  are  signified  they  who  are  in  evils  of  life, 
427 


545,  546  THE    APOCALYPSE   EEVEALED.  [Cliap.  xil. 

n.  483  ;  here,  tliej  who  are  in  dead  worship  through  being  prin- 
cipled in  faith  separated  from  charity,  because  these  are  here 
treated  of ;  and  these  are  in  evils  of  life,  for  when  charity  is 
separated,  there  is  not  any  good  of  life,  aiid  where  good  is  not, 
there  evil  is.  That  to  rule  with  a  rod  of  iron  signifies  by  the 
truths  of  the  literal  sense  of  the  Word,  and,  at  the  same  time, 
by  rational  arguments  drawn  from  natural  light,  may  be  seen 
above,  n.  148. 

545.  And  her  ohild  was  caught  up  unto  God  and  to  his  throne^ 
signifies  the  protection  of  the  doctrine  by  the  Lord,  because  it  is 
for  the  use  of  the  New  Church,  and  its  being  guarded  by  the  an- 
gels of  heaven.  By  these  words  is  signified  the  protection  of  the 
doctrine  by  the  Lord,  because  it  is  said  that  the  dragon  stood 
before  the  woman  who  was  ready  to  be  delivered,  to  devour  her 
child  as  soon  as  it  was  born ;  and  by  a  child,  and  a  male  child, 
is  signified  the  doctrine  for  the  New  Church,  n.  542,  543.  Be- 
ing guarded  by  the  angels  is  also  signified,  because  it  is  said, 
that  it  was  caught  up  unto  God  and  to  his  throne ;  and  by  a 
throne  is  signified  the  angelic  heaven,  n.  14,  221,  222. 

546.  And  the  ivoman  jled  into  the  loildeniess,  signifies  the 
church,  which  is  the  New  Jerusalem,  at  first  confined  to  a  few. 
By  the  woman  is  signified  the  New  Church,  n.  533 ;  and  by  a 
wilderness  is  signified  where  there  are  no  longer  any  truths. 
That  its  being  confined  at  first  to  a  few  is  signified,  because  it 
follows,  where  she  had  a  place  prepared  of  God,  that  they  should 
feed  her  there  a  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  days,  by  which 
is  signified  its  state  at  that  time,  that  in  the  mean  while  an 
increase  of  its  numbers  may  be  provided  for,  until  it  comes  to 
its  appointed  maturity,  n.  547.  By  a  wilderness,  in  the  Word, 
is  signified,  I.  The  church  devastated,  or  in  which  all  the  truths 
of  the  Word  are  falsified,  such  as  it  was  among  the  Jews  at  the 
time  of  the  Lord's  advent.  II.  The  church  in  which  there  are 
no  truths,  from  not  possessing  the  Word,  such  as  it  was  among 
the  well-disposed  Gentiles  in  the  Lord's  time.  III.  A  state  of 
temptation,  in  which  man  is,  as  it  were,  without  truths,  because 
surrounded  by  evil  spirits  who  induce  temptations,  and  then,  as 
it  were,  deprive  him  of  truths.  That  by  a  wilderness  is  sig- 
nified the  church  devastated,  or  the  church  in  which  all  the 
truths  of  the  Word  are  falsified,  such  as  it  was  among  the  Jews 
in  the  Lord's  time,  appears  from  these  passages :  "  Is  this  the 
man  that  made  the  earth  to  tremble,  that  did  shake  kingdoms, 
that  made  the  world  'a.  wilderness  V  Isaiah  xiv.  16,  IT;  con- 
cerning Babel.  "  Thorns  and  briers  are  come  up  on  the  land 
of  my  people :  the  palace  shall  be  a  wilderness,^^  Isaiah  xxxii, 
13, 14,  "I  beheld,  and  lo,  the  fruitful  place  was  a  xmlderness^ 
the  whole  land  shall  be  desolate,"  Jerem.  iv.  26,  27 ;  earth  ia 
the  church,  n.  285.  "The  pastors  have  destroyed  my  vineyard, 
they  have  made  my  pleasant  portion  a  desolate  wilderness :  the 

428 


V.  5,  6.]  THE    APOCAI.YPSK    REVKAI.KT1.  647 

sj>oilers  arc  come  in  the  wildemefis,''^  Jerein.  xii.  10,  12.  "A 
vine  is  planted  in  the  wilderness,  in  a  dry  and  tliii-sty  i^roujid," 
Ezek.  xix.  13.  "Tlie  fire  hath  consumed  the  habitations  of 
the  luUderness,''^  Joel  i.  19,  20.  "The  day  of  Jehovali  cometh, 
the  land  is  as  the  garden  of  Eden  before  them,  but  behind  them 
a  denolafe  wilderness,''^  Joel  ii.  3.  "  See  ye  tlie  word  of  Je- 
liovah  ;  have  I  been  a  wilderness  to  Israel,  or  a  land  of  dark- 
ness?" Jerem.  ii.  31.  "The  voice  of  him  that  crieth  in  the  wil- 
derness, Prepare  ye  the  way  of  Jehovah;  make  straight  in  the 
desert  a  highway  for  our  God,"  Isaiah  xl.  3 ;  besides  other 
places;  as  in  Jerem.  ii.  31;  xxiii.  10;  Lament,  v.  18;  Ilosea 
ii.  2,  3 ;  xiii.  15  ;  Joel  iv.  9 ;  Malachi  i.  3  ;  Psalm  cvii.  33,  34 ; 
Matt.  xxiv.  26 ;  Luke  xiii.  35.  That  such  also  is  the  state  of 
the  church  at  this  day,  may  be  seen  below,  n.  566.  II.  That 
by  a  wilderness  is  meant  the  church  in  M'hich  there  are  no 
truths,  from  not  possessing  the  Word,  as  among  the  well-dis- 
posed Gentiles  in  the  Lord's  time,  appears  from  these  places: 
"The  spirit  shall  be  poured  upon  us  from  on  liigh,  and  the 
wilderness  shall  be  a  fi-uitful  field,  then  judgment  shall  dwell  in 
the  wilderness,''''  Isaiah  xxxii.  15,  16.  "I  will  open  fountains 
in  the  midst  of  the  valleys,  and  make  the  icilderncss  a  pool  of 
waters ;  I  will  plant  in  the  wilderness  the  cedar  shittim  and  the 
olive-tree,"  Isaiah  xli.  18,  19.  "He  shall  turn  the  wilderness 
into  a  standing  water,  and  the  dry  ground  into  water  springs,'' 
Psalm  cvii.  35,  36.  "  I  will  make  a  way  in  the  loilderness,  and 
rivei-s  in  the  desert,  to  give  drink  to  my  people,  my  chosen," 
Isaiah  xliii.  19,  20.  "  Jehovah  will  make  her  wilderness  like 
Eden,  and  her  desert  like  the  garden  of  Jehovah  ;  joy  and  glad- 
ness shall  be  found  therein,"  Isaiah  Ii.  3.  "The  habitations  of 
the  wilderness  distil,"  Psalm  Ixv.  12,  13.  "Let  the  wilderness 
lift  up  its  voice,  let  the  iiihabitants  of  the  rock  sing,"  Isaiah 
xiii.  10,  11.  III.  That  by  a  wilderness  is  signified  a  state  of 
temptation,  in  which  man  is  as  it  were  without  truths,  because 
surrounded  by  evil  spirits,  who  induce  temptation,  and  then  as 
it  were  deprive  him  of  truths,  appears  from  Matt,  iv,  1 — 3 ; 
Mark  i.  12,  13 ;  Luke  iv.  1—3 ;  Isaiah  xl.  3;  Jerem.  ii.  2,  6,  7 ; 
Hosea  ii.  13—16 ;  Psalm  cvii.  4—7 ;  Dent.  i.  31,  33 ;  viii.  2— 
4,  15,  16;  xxxii.  10. 

547.  Where  she  hath  a  place  prepared  of  God,  that  they 
shovid  feed  her  there  a  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  days, 
signifies  the  state  of  the  church  at  that  time,  while  provision  is 
making  for  its  increase  among  many  until  it  arrives  at  maturity. 
By  place  is  signified  state,  n.  947 ;  and  by  feeding,  provision 
for  its  increase,  for  thus  is  the  church  fed ;  hence  by  having  a 
place  prepared  of  God  that  they  should  feed  her,  is  signified  the 
state  of  the  church  preparatory  to  its  increase ;  by  a  thousand 
two  hui.dred  and  sixty  days  i^  signified  to  the  end  and  begin- 
ning, n.  491,  that  is,  to  the  end  of  the  former  church  and  th« 

^429 


548  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Chap.  xH. 

beginning  of  the  new,  the  same  as  by  a  time,  and  times,  and  half 
a  time,  verse  14,  n.  562 ;  thus,  also,  to  its  appointed  station, 
tliat  is,  nntil  it  exists  as  has  been  provided  it  should  exist.  It  is 
of  the  Lord's  divine  providence,  that  the  church  should  at  first 
be  confined  to  a  few,  and  that  its  numbers  should  successively 
increase,  because  the  falses  of  the  former  church  must  first  be 
removed ;  for  before  this,  truths  cannot  be  received,  since 
truths,  which  are  received  and  implanted  before  falses  are  re- 
moved, do  not  remain,  and  they  are  also  rejected  by  the  dragon- 
ists ;  the  like  happened  with  the  Christian  church,  which  in- 
creased successively  from  a  few  to  many.  Another  reason  is, 
that  a  new  heaven  is  first  to  be  formed,  which  Avill  act  as  one 
with  the  church  on  earth  ;  therefore  we  read,  that  he  saw  a  new 
heaven^  and  the  Holy  Jerusalem  conning  doxmi  out  of  heaven 
from  God^  Apoc.  xxi.  1,  2.  It  is  certain  that  a  new  church, 
which  is  the  New  Jerusalem,  will  exist,  because  it  is  foretold  in 
the  Apocalypse,  chap.  xxi.  xxii. ;  and  it  is  also  certain  that  the 
falses  of  the  former  church  are  first  to  be  removed,  because 
they  are  what  the  Apocalypse  treats  of,  as  far  as  chapter  xx. 

548.  And  there  was  war  in  heaven :  Michael  and  his 
angels  fought  against  the  dragon  j  and  the  dragon  fought  and 
his  angels^  signifies  the  falses  of  the  former  church  fighting 
against  the  truths  of  the  New  Church.  By  war  is  signified 
spiritual  war,  which  is  of  falsity  against  truth,  and  truth  against 
falsity,  n.  500,  for  no  other  war  can  take  place  in  heaven,  where 
this  is  said  to  have  been  waged ;  neither  can  it  take  place  in 
lieaven,  when  once  formed  of  angels ;  but  it  Avas  waged  in  the 
former  heaven,  which  passed  away,  as  appears,  Apoc.  xxi.  1, 
concerning  which  heaven,  see  the  explanation  there  given ;  for 
that  heaven  passed  away  in  consequence  of  the  last  judgment 
being  executed  on  the  dragon  and  his  angels,  which  is  also  sig- 
nified by  the  dragon's  being  cast  down,  and  his  place  no  more 
found  in  heaven,  as  appears  from  what  follows.  What  the  falses 
are,  which  are  meant  by  the  dragon,  and  which  are  to  fight 
against  the  truths  of  the  New  Church,  may  be  seen  above,  n. 
537.  By  Michael  is  not  meant  any  archangel ;  neither  by 
Gabriel,  nor  Baphael,  but  ministries  in  heaven ;  the  ministry 
signified  by  Michael  is  performed  by  those  who  prove  from  the 
Word,  that  the  Lord  is  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  that 
God  the  Father  and  He  are  one,  as  the  soul  and  body  are  one ; 
also  that  men  ought  to  live  according  to  the  commandments  of 
the  decalogue,  and  that  then  they  are  gifted  with  charity  and 
faith.  Michael  is  also  mentioned  in  Daniel,  x.  13,  21 ;  xii.  1 ; 
and  thereby  a  similar  ministry  is  understood,  as  appears  from 
chap.  ix.  X.  xi.,  and  from  the  last  verses  of  chap.  xii.  But  by 
Gabriel  is  understood  the  ministry  of  those  who  teach  from  the 
Word,  that  Jehovah  came  into  the  work],  and  that  the  Human- 
itv  he  there  assumed  is  the  Son  of  God,  and  divine ;  for  which 
430 


V,  6 — 9.]         THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  549,  550 

reason,  the  ang'ol  wlio  announced  tlie  same  to  Mary  is  called 
Gabriel,  Luke  i.  19,  26 — 35.  They,  also,  who  are  engaged  in 
those  ministries,  are  named  Michaels  and  Gabriels  in  heaven. 
By  an  angel,  in  the  supreme  sense,  is  meant  the  Lord;  and,  in  a 
relative  sense,  the  heaven  of  angels,  as  also  an  angelic  society, 
as  may  be  seen  above,  n.  5,  Gt),  25S,  342,  344,  415,  465  ;  but 
liere,  a  ministry  is  signified,  because  they  are  mentioned  by 
name;  and,  in  Daniel,  Michael  is  called  a  prince;  and  by  a 
prince,  in  the  AVord,  is  signiiied  a  principal  or  leading  truth, 
and  by  a  kino;,  truth  itself,  n.  20. 

549.  Ana  prevailed  not^  neither  was  their  place  found  any 
more  in  heaven^  signifies  that  they  were  convicted  of  being  in 
falses  and  evils,  but  still  remained  in  them,  and  that  therefore 
they  were  torn  from  conjunction  Avith  heaven  and  cast  down. 
That  this  may  be  understood,  something  must  first  be  said  con- 
cerning the  state  of  those  who  come  into  the  other  life  after 
death.  All  in  the  other  life  are  first  instructed  by  angels,  and 
conducted  from  one  society  to  another,  and  explored  whether 
they  have  any  desire  to  receive  heavenly  truths,  and  live  ac- 
cording to  them ;  but  still,  all  such  as  have  confirmed  them- 
selves in  falses  in  the  world  do  not  receive  them  ;  therefore  they 
are  sent  to  societies  M'here  they  are  who  are  in  similar  falses, 
which  societies  have  no  conjunction  with  heaven,  but  with  hell ; 
consequently,  after  a  given  time,  in  the  WM^rld  of  spirits,  they 
sink  down  into  hell,  and  are  sent  away  to  their  respective  places, 
every  one  according  to  his  evil  and  consequent  falsity;  this  is 
M'hat  is  to  be  understood  by  their  being  convicted  of  being  in 
falses  and  evils,  and  still  remaining  in  them,  and  that  therefore 
they  are  torn  from  conjiniction  M'ith  heaven,  and  cast  down. 
AVhat  their  lot  and  condition  is  there,  may  be  seen  above,  n. 
153,  531. 

550.  And  the  great  dragon  was  cast  out^  that  old  serpent, 
called  the  Devil^  and  Satan^  signifies  that  they  who  are  meant 
by  the  dragon  turned  from  the  Lord  to  themselves,  and  from 
lieaven  to  the  Avorld,  and  thence  became  corporeally  sensual, 
who  could  not  but  be  in  the  evils  of  their  concupiscences  and 
thence  in  falses,  and  by  separation  from  the  Lord  and  heaven, 
became  devils  and  satans.  Who  are  meant  by  the  dragon,  may 
be  seen,  n.  537 ;  these,  inasmuch  as  they  make  God  three,  and 
the  Lord  two,  and  because  they  place  the  commandments  of  the 
decalogue  among  works  whicli  do  not  contribute  to  salvation, 
are  called  the  old  serpent,  the  devil,  and  Satan ;  and  by  a  ser- 
pent is  signified  man,  when  he  is  corporeally  sensual,  n.  424, 
who  turns  from  the  Lord  to  himself,  and  from  heaven  to  the 
world ;  and  by  the  devil  are  signified  they  who  are  in  the  evils 
of  concupiscences  ;  and  by  Satan,  they  who  are  thence  in  falses, 
n.  97,  153  at  the  end,  856,  857.  Such,  also,  was  the  serpen 
which  seduced  Eve  and  Adam,  as  appears  from  his  description 

431 


651,  552  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Cliap.  xil. 

and  the  curse  pronounced  upon  liim,  Gen.  iii.  1 — 5,  11,  15. 
The  dragon  is  here  called  the  devil  and  Satan,  but  he  is  so 
called,  because  all  in  hell  are  devils  and  satans ;  and  it  is  on 
this  account  that  hell,  in  the  aggregate,  is  so  denominated. 

551.  Which  deceiveth  the  whole  worlds  signifies  that  th-ey 
pervert  all  things  of  the  church.  By  deceiving  is  signified  to 
pervert,  and  by  the  world  is  signified  the  church ;  the  same  as 
by  earth,  n.  285,  By  the  world  is  not  signified  the  world  of 
earths,  but  the  church  therein,  in  the  following  places :  "  The 
earth  mourneth  and  fjideth  away,  the  haughty  people  of  the 
%oorld  do  languish,''  Isaiah  xxiv.  4.  "The  earth  shall  learn 
thy  judgments,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  world  thy  righteous- 
ness," Isaiah  xxvi.  9.  "Thou  li-ast  made  the  earth  by  thy 
power,  thou  hast  prepared  the  world  by  thy  wisdom,"  Jerem. 
X.  12;  li.  15.  "The  foundations  of  the  world*  were  discovered 
at  the  blast  of  the  breatli  of  thy  nostrils,"  Psalm  xviii.  16. 
"The  earth  is  Jehovah's  and  the  fulness  thereof,  the  world  and 
they  that  dwell  therein ;  he  hath  founded  it  upon  the  seas,  and 
established  it  upon  the  floods,"  Psalm  xxiv.  1,  2.  "  The  hea- 
vens are  thine,  the  earth  also  is  thine,  thou  hast  founded  the 
world  and  the  fulness  thereof,"  Psalm  Ixxxix.  11.  "He  will^ 
make  us  inherit  the  throne  of  glory,  for  the  pillars  of  the  earth' 
are  Jehovah's,  and  he  hath  set  the  world  upon  them,"  1  Sam.  ii. 
8.  "Thou,  O  Babel,  hast  made  the  world  a  wilderness,  thou  hast 
destroyed  thy  land^  and  slain  thy  people,"  Isaiah  xiv.  17,  20; 
besides  other  passages  ;  as  in  Isaiah  xviii.  3  ;  xxvi.  18  ;  xxvii.  6; 
xxxiv.  1 ;  Nahumi.5;Psalmix.  8  ;  Psalm Ixxvii.  18;  Psalm  xcviii. 
9;  Lament,  iv.  12;  Job  xviii.  18;  Matt.  xxiv.  14 ;  Luke  xxi,  26; 
Apoc.  xvi.  14  ;  but  it  is  to  be  observed,  that  when  the  world  and 
the  earth  are  mentioned  at  the  same  time,  the  world  signifies  the 
church  as  to  good,  and  the  earth  signifies  the  church  as  to  truth. 

552.  He  was  cast  out  into  the  earth,  and  his  angels  were 
cast  out  with  him,  signifies  that  he  Avas  cast  down  into  the 
M'orld  of  spirits,  which  is  intermediate  between  heaven  and  hell, 
from  whence  there  is  immediate  conjunction  with  men  upon 
earth.  The  reason  why'by  the  earth,  upon  which  the  dragon  is 
said  to  have  been  cast  out,  is  meant  the  world  of  spirits,  is,  be- 
cause that  world  is  immediately  beneath  the  heavens,  and  when 
any  one  is  cast  down  from  heaven,  he  does  not  fall  immediately 
into  hell,  but  upon  the  earth  of  the  world  immediately  beneath 
it,  for  that  world  is  in  the  midst  between  heaven  and  hell,  or 
below  the  heavens  and  above  the  hells.  Many  things  concern- 
ing that  world  may  be  seen  in  the  work  On  Heaven  and  Hell,  n. 
421 — 535.  All  who  are  in  that  world  communicate  imme- 
diately with  men  upon  earth,  consequently,  the  dragon  and  his 
angels  communicate  with  those  who  are  in  falses,  and  thence  in 
evils,  through  the  received  heresy  of  faith  alone ;  on  which 

*  Orbis — a  circle,  the  mixed  globe  of  earth  a7id  water. 

432 


V.  9,  10  j         THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALFD.  553 

account,  it  is  said  below,  "Tlierefore  rejoice,  ye  lieavens,  and 
ye  that  dwell  in  them ;  woe  to  the  inhabitei's  of  the  earth  and 
of  the  sea,  for  the  devil  is  come  down  unto  you,  having  great 
wrath,  because  he  knoweth  that  he  hath  but  a  short  time," 
verse  12  of  this  chapter.  Also  that  "  lie  pursued  the  wonum 
into  the  wilderness,  and  went  to  make  war  with  tlie  remnant  of 
her  seed,"  verse  13 — 17.  It  is  to  be  noted,  that  every  man,  as 
to  his  afi'ections  and  consequent  thoughts,  is  in  society  with 
those  who  are  in  the  world  of  spirits,  and  mediately  througji 
them,  with  those  who  are  either  in  heaven  or  in  hell.  The  life 
of  every  man  depends  on  that  conjunction. 

553.  And  I heanl  a  loud  voice  saying  in  heaven^  Now  is  come 
salvation^  andpoioer,  and  the  kingdom  of  our  God  and  the  power 
of  his  Christy  signifies  the  joy  of  the  angels  of  heaven,  because 
the  Lord  alone  now  reigns  in  heaven  and  in  the  church,  and 
because  they  are  saved  who  believe  in  him.  By  a  loud  voice  in' 
heaven  is  signilied  the  joy  of  the  angels  of  heaven  ;  for  which 
reason  it  follows,  ''Therefore  rejoice,  ye  heavens,  and  ye  that 
dwell  in  them,"  verse  12 ;  the  voice  also  becomes  great  by 
reason  of  its  being  lifted  up  from  joy  of  heart.  Now  is  come 
salvation  and  power,  signilies  that  now  there  is  salvation  from 
the  Lord's  divine  power;  and  the  kingdom  of  our  God  and  the 
power  of  his  Christ,  signiiies  because  the  Lord  alone  reigns  in 
heaven  and  in  the  church.  That  by  God  is  understood  the 
essential  Divinity,  from  whom  are  all  things,  which  is  called 
Jehovah  the  Father ;  and  by  Christ,  his  Divine  Humanity, 
which  is  called  the  Son  of  God,  nuiy  be  seen  above,  n.  500  ;  and 
because  the  essential  Divinity  and  the  Lord's  Divine  Humanity 
are  one,  like  soul  and  body,  it  follows  that  the  Lord  alone 
reigns.  This  is  meant  bythe  gospel  of  the  kingdoin,  and  by  the 
kingdom  of  God,  Matt.  i'ii.  2  ;  iv.  17,  23;  vii.  21,  22  ;  ix.  35  ;  xi. 
11  ;  xii.  28  ;  Mark  i.  14, 15  ;  ix.  ]  ;  xv.  43  ;  Luke  iv.  4 ;  viii.  1 ; 
ix.  60  ;  X.  8—11  ;  xi.  17,  18,  20  ;  xvi.  16  ;  xxi.  30,  31  ;  xxii.  18  ; 
xxiii.  50,  51.  That  the  Lord  has  all  power  in  heaven  and 
earth,  a])pears  manifestly  in  Matthew  xxviii.  18;  John  iii.  35; 
xvii.  2,  10.  That  they  are  saved  who  are  in  the  Lord  and  the 
Lord  in  them,  and  that  it  is  the  Divine  Ilunumity  in  which  they 
are,  John  xiv.  xv.  xvii.  ;  and  that  none  are  saved,  but  they  that 
believe  in  him,  appears  from  these  passages  :  "  As  nuiny  as  re- 
ceived him,  to  them  gave  he  power  to  become  the  sons  of  God, 
even  to  them  that  helieve  in  his  name^''  John  i.  12,  "  That 
whosoever  helieveth  in  the  Son,  should  not  perish,  but  have  eter- 
nal life,"  John  iii.  15.  "God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave 
his  onhj-hi gotten  Son,  that  whoaoeyov  believeth  in  him  may  have 
everlasting  life,"  John  i.ii.  16.  "  lie  that  helieveth  in  the  Son 
is  not  condemned,  but  he  that  believeth  not  is  condemned 
tdready,  because  he  hath  not  believed  in  the  name  of  the  only- 
begotten  Son  of  God,"  John  iii.  18.  "  lie  that  helievr'th  in  t/ce 
433  CO 


554,  555  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Cliap,  Xll. 

So7i,  liatli  everlasting  life,  but  lie  that  believetli  not  the  Son, 
shall  not  see  life,  but  the  wrath  of  God  abideth  on  him,"  John 
iii.  36.  "  He  that  conieth  to  me  shall  never  hunger,  and  he 
that  helieveth  in  ine  shall  never  thirst. — Verily  I  say  unto  you, 
li^e  that  helieveth  in  me  hath  everlasting  life,"  John  vi.  33,  35, 
47.  "  Unless  ye  helieve  that  I  am,  ye  shall  die  in  your  sins," 
John  viii.  24.  Jesus  said,  "I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life, 
lie  that  helieveth  in  me,  tliough  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live ; 
whosoever  livetli  and  helieveth  in  me,  shall  never  die,"  John  xi. 
25,  26 :  besides  other  places ;  as  in  John  vi.  38 — 40  ;  vii.  37, 
38  ;  viii.  12  ;  xii.  36,  46.  To  believe  in  the  Lord  is  to  approach 
liim  immediately,  and  to  have  confidence  that  it  is  he  who 
saves  ;  and  since  no  one  can  have  this  confidence  who  does  not 
lead  a  good  life,  therefore  this  also  is  understood  by  believing 
in  him,  see  above,  n.  67. 

554.  For  the  accuser  of  our  hrethren  is  cast  down,  which 
accused  them  hefore  our  God  day  and  night,  signifies  that  by  the 
last  judgment  they  are  removed  who  opposed  the  doctrine  of  the 
New  Jerusalem,  By  the  dragon  being  cast  down  is  signified 
that  they  are  removed  who  are  meant  by  the  dragon  ;  that  they 
were  removed  by  being  cast  down  from  heaven  into  the  world 
of  spirits,  and  then  into  hell,  which  is  their  last  judgment,  was 
observed  before.  By  brethren  are  meant  they  who  are  in  the 
doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  and  in  a  life  according  to  it ;  by 
accusing  is  signified  to  oppose  the  doctrine,  to  maintain  that  it 
is  false,  and  to  exclaim  against  it ;  and  because  they  do  this 
continually,  as  it  were  before  God,  the  dragon  is  called  the 
accuser  of  our  brethren,  accusing  them  before  God  day  and 
night.  This  also  the  devil  does  when  he  tempts,  for  he  brings 
forth  various  things  out  of  man,  which  he  calls  falses,  and  con- 
demns. 

555.  And  they  overcame  him  hy  the  hlood  of  the  Lamh,  and 
hy  the  Word,  of  their  testimony,  signifies  victoiy  by  the  divine 
truth  of  the  Word,  and  thence  bv  the  acknowledgment  that  the 
Lord  is  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  that  the  precepts  of 
the  decalogue  are  precepts  of  life  according  to  which  men  ought 
to  live.  That  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  is  Uie  divine  truth  pro- 
ceeding from  the  Lord,  which  is  the  divine  truth  of  the  Word, 
may  be  seen  above,  n.  379  ;  that  the  testimony  is  the  divine 
trutli,  above,  n.  6,  16,  and  that  it  specifically  consists  in  these 
two  things,  viz.,  that  the  Lord  is  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth, 
and  that  the  commaniments  of  the  decalogue  are  precepts  of 
life,  n.  490,  506 ;  for  which  reason,  the  decalogue  is  also  called 
the  testimony,  Exod  xxv.  22  ;  xxxi.  7,  18 ;  xxxii.  15  ;  Levit. 
xvi.  13  ;  Numb.  xvii.  19  ;  Psalm  Ixxviii.  5  ;  Psalm  cxxxii.  12. 
Those  at  the  present  day,  that  are  principled  in  faith  alone, 
believe  that,  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  is  here  meant  the  Lord's 
passion  on  the  cross,  and  this  because  they  make  the  Lord's  pus- 

434 


V.  1(X,   11.]         THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  556 

Bi'on  on  the  cross  the  chief  point  of  their  solifidian  dogma,  say- 
ing, that  therehy  lie  translbrred  to  liiinself  tlie  condeiuiiatian 
of  tlie  hiw,  made  satisfaction  to  the  Father,  and  reconciled  the 
hnman  race  to  him  ;  besides  many  other  things.  That  this, 
however,  is  not  the  case,  hnt  that  the  Lord  came  into  the  world 
to  subdue  the  hells  and  glorify  his  Ilumatiity,  and  that  the  pas- 
sion of  the  cross  was  the  last  combat,  whereby  he  fully  overcame 
the  hells  and  fully  glorified  his  Humanity,  may  l»e  seen  in  Tka 
Doctrine  of  tlie  Kexo  Jerusalem  concerninq  the  Lord^  n.  12 — 14. 
Hence  it  may  be  seen,  that  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  is  not 
here  meant  the  passion  of  the  cross  according  to  the  modern 
dogma.  That  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  is  meant  the  divine 
truth  proceeding  from  the  Lord,  which  is  the  divine  truth  of  the 
AVord,  may  appear  from  this  consideration,  that  the  Lord  is  the 
AVord  ;  and  because  he  is  the  Word,  the  divine  truth  therein  ia 
liis  blood,  and  the  divine  good  therein,  his  body.  This  may  be 
rendered  evident  at  once,  in  the  following  maimer : — Is  not 
every  man  his  own  good  and  his  own  truth  ?  And,  since  good 
has  relation  to  the  v.ill,  and  truth  to  the  understanding,  every 
man  is  his  own  will  and  his  own  understanding.  What  else 
constitutes  a  man?  Is  not  man,  as  to  his  essence,  these  two? 
But  the  Lord  is  good  itself  and  truth  itself,  that  is,  divine  good 
and  divine  truth,  which  two  are  also  the  Word. 

556.  And  they  loved  not  their  lives  unto  the,  death^  signifies 
who  loved  not  themselves  more  than  the  Lord.  By  loving  their 
lives  is  signified  to  love  self  and  the  world,  for  by  tlie  lives  is 
signified  man's  own  life,  M'hich  every  one  has  l)y  birth,  which 
consists  in  loving  himself  and  the  world  above  all  things  ;  there- 
fore by  not  loving  their  lives  is  signified  not  to  love  self  and  the 
world,  more  than  the  Lord  and  the  things  which  are  of  the 
Lord  ;  unto  death,  signifies  to  be  willing  to  die  rather ;  con- 
sequently it  is  to  love  the  Lord  above  all  things,  and  our  neigh- 
bour as  one's  self.  Matt.  xxii.  35 — 38  ;  and  to  be  willing  to  die 
rather  than  recede  from  those  two  loves.  The  same  is  signified 
by  these  words  of  the  Lord  :  "  He  that  findeth  his  life,  shall 
lose  it,  and  he  that  loseth  his  life  for  the  sake  of  Jesus,  shall 
find  it,"  Matt.  x.  39  ;  Luke  xvii.  33.  "  He  that  loveth  his  life 
shall  lose  it;  but  he  that  hatetli  his  life  in  this  world,  shall 
keep  it  unto  life  eternal,"  John  xii.  25.  Jesus  said,  "  If  any 
man  will  come  after  ine,  let  liim  deny  himself;  for  whosoever 
will  save  his  lif'.,  shall  lose  it  ;  and  whosoever  will  lose  his  Ufe^ 
for  my  sake,  shall  find  it:  What  is  a  man  profited,  if  he  shall 
gain  the  whole  world,  and  lose  his  own  soul  ?  or  what  shall  a 
man  give  in  exchange  for  his  soulV*  Matt,  xvi,  24,  25;  Mark 
viii.  35 — 37 ;  Luke  ix.  24,  25.  By  loving  the  Lord  is  meant 
to  love  to  do  his  commandments,  John  xiv.  20 — -24.  The  rea- 
son is,  because  he  himself  is  his  own  commandments,  for  they 
are  from  him,  conscquentlv  he  is  in  them,  thus  in  the  man  in 
435 


557,  558  THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.        [Chap.  Xli. 

whose  life  they  are  inscribed  ;  and  they  are  inscribed  in  man  by 
willing  and  doing  them. 

557.  Therefore  rejoice^  ye  heavejis,  and  ye  that  dwell  in  them^ 
signifies  a  new  state  of  iieaven,  in  that  they  are  in  the  Lord, 
and  the  Lord  in  tliem.  By  heavens  i^  meant  the  heaven  of 
Christians,  in  which  the  Lord  alone  is  acknowledged  as  the 
God  of  heaven  and  earth  ;  by  rejoice  is  signified  its  new  state, 
full  of  joy ;  by  they  that  dwell  in  them  are  signified  they  who 
are  in  good,  n.  380  ;  and  because  all  good  is  from  the  Lord,  it 
signifies  that  they  are  in  the  Lord,  and  the  Lord  in  them, 

558.  Woe  to  the  inhabiters  of  the  earth  and  of  the  sea  !  for 
the  devil  is  come  down  unto  you,  having  great  wrath,  signifies 
lamentations  over  those  who  are  principled  in  the  internals  and 
externals  of  the  doctrine  of  faith  alone,  and  thence  in  evils  of 
life,  because  their  like  are  cast  down  from  heaven  into  the 
world  of  spirits,  and  are  thence  in  conjunction  -with  men  on 
earth,  whom,  out  of  hatred  to  the  N^ew  Church,  they  excite  to 
persevere  in  their  falses  and  consequent  evils.  By  woe  to  the 
inhabiters  of  the  earth  and  of  the  sea  is  signified  lamentation 
over  those  in  the  church  who  are  influenced  by  the  doctrine  of 
faith  alone  ;  by  woe  is  signified  lamentation,  n.  496  ;  by  inhabi- 
tants are  signified  they  who  are  in  the  church  whose  doctrine 
is  faith  alone  ;  by  earth  are  meant  they  wlio  are  in  its  internals, 
and  by  sea  they  who  are  in  its  externals,  n.  470  ;  by  great 
wrath  is  signified  hatred  against  the  New  Church,  because  it 
denotes  hatred  against  the  woman,  n.  525  ;  to  come  down  unto 
them  signifies  coming  to  those  who  are  in  the  world  of  spirits, 
and  as  these  are  in  conjunction  with  men  U2:)on  earth,  it  also 
signifies  to  their  like  upon  earth.  That  the  dragon  was  cast  out 
of  heaven  into  the  world  of  spirits,  and  that  tliey  who  are  in 
that  world  are  in  connexion  with  men  upon  earth,  see  above,  n. 
552.  The  dragon  is  here  called  the  devil,  because  they  are 
meant  who  from  that  heresy  are  in  evils  of  life  ;  and  they  are  in 
evils  of  life  from  that  heresy  who  live  according  to  this  tenet  of 
their  faith,  that  they  have  no  sins  who  pray  in  confidence  to 
God  the  Father,  and  that  if  they  have  they  are  remitted ;  all 
such,  inasmuch  as  they  do  not  examine  themselves,  know  not 
any  one  sin  that  is  in  them,  and  at  length  do  not  even  know 
what  sin  is,  as  may  be  seen  above,  n,  531.  That  by  the  dragon, 
as  the  devil,  are  meant  they  who  are  in  the  evils  of  their  concu- 
piscences, see  n,  550,  The  reason  why  every  man  is  in  con- 
junction with  those  who  are  in  the  world  of  spirits,  is,  because 
man,  as  to  the  aftections  of  his  mind  and  the  thoughts  thence 
proceeding,  is  a  spirit,  therefore,  as  to  such  affections  and 
thoughts,  he  is  continually  in  conjunction  with  spirits  who  are 
in  a  similar  afi'ection,  and  thence  in  similar  thoughts  ;  there  is 
such  a  conjunction,  that  if  this  bond  was  broken  for  a  single 
moment,  man  would  fall  down  dead.     The  church  has  Litlicrto 

436 


C.  12 — 14c.]  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALiJ.),  559  —  562 

known  nothing  of  this ;  nor  that  man,  after  Jeath,  is  his  own 
ailection  and  conseqnent  thought,  therefore  his  own  charity  and 
consequent  faith,  and  that  no  one  can  be  faith  separated  from 
charity. 

559.  Because  he  knoweth  that  he  hath  hut  a  short  time,  sig- 
nifies, because  he  knows  that  a  new  lieaven  is  formed,  and  that 
thus  there  is  about  to  be  a  New  Church  upon  earth,  and  that 
then  he,  with  his  like,  will  be  cast  into  hell.  This  is  signified, 
because  the  dragon  knows  that  a  new  heaven  is  formed,  for  he 
was  expelled  from  it,  verse  S,  9 ;  he  knows  also  that  there  is 
about  to  be  a  New  Church  upon  earth,  from  what  is  foretold  in 
the  Apocalypse,  cliap.  xxi. ;  and  he  knows,  likewise,  that  he 
and  his  like  are  then  to  be  cast  into  hell,  from  what  is  also  fore 
told,  Apoc.  XX.  1,  2,  10. 

560.  And  when  the  dragon  saw  that  he  was  cast  u?ito  the 
earth,  he  persecuted  the  woman  who  brought  forth  the  man  cklld, 
signifies  that  the  dragonists  in  the  world  of  spirits,  immediately 
upon  their  being  thrust  down,  began  to  infest  tlie  New  Church 
ou  account  of  its  doctrine.  When  the  dragon  saw  that  he  was 
cast  ijpon  the  earth,  signifies  that  when  the  dragonists  saw 
that  they  were  separated  from  heaven,  and  in  conjunction  with 
men  upon  earth,  n.  552,  558  ;  he  persecuted  the  woman,  signi- 
fies that  they  immediately  began  to  infest  the  Lord's  church ; 
that  the  woman  whom  he  persecuted  is  that  church,  may  b^ 
seen,  n.  533  ;  who  brought  forth  a  son,  signifies  on  account  Oi 
its  doctrine  ;  that  the  son,  which  the  woman  brought  forth,  v.^ 
the  doctrine  of  the  New  Church,  see  n.  535,  542,  543,  545. 

561.  And  to  the  woman  were  given  two  wings  of  a  greets 
eagle,  that  she  might  fly  into  the  wilderness,  into  her  place ^  sig- 
nifies the  divine  circumspection  over  that  church,  and  its  pro- 
tection, while  as  yet  confined  to  a  few.  By  the  woman  is  sig- 
nified the  New  Church,  n.  533 ;  by  wings  are  signified  power 
and  protection,  n.  245 ;  by  an  eagle  is  signified  intellectual  sight, 
and  consequent  thought,  n.  245  ;  by  nying  is  signified  seeing 
and  circumspection,  n.  245 ;  by  a  wilderness  is  signified  the 
church  desohited,  and  thus  among  a  few,  n.  546 ;  by  her  placo 
is  signified  its  state'there ;  from  which  it  follows,  that  by  ther* 
being  given  to  tiie  woman  two  wings  of  a  great  eagle,  that  she 
might  fiy  into  the  wilderness,  into  her  place,  is  signified  the 
divine  circumspection  over  the  New  Church,  and  its  protection, 
while  as  yet  confined  to  a  few. 

562.  "^Where  she  is  noxirished  for  a  time,  and  times,  and  half 
a  time,  from  the  face  of  the  serpent,  signifies  that  by  reason  of 
the  craftiness  of  seducers,  provision  is  made  with  circumt^pec- 
tion  that  its  numbers  may  increase  until  it  comos  to  maturity. 
By  being  nourished,  when  said  of  the  New  Church,  is  signifietl 
to  provide  for  its  increase,  as  above,  n.  547  ;  by  a  time,  and 
Limes,  and  half  a  time,  is  signified  to  the  end  and  beginning, 

437 


563  THE   APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Cliap.  xiL 

thus  during  its  increase  from  a  few  to  many,  until  it  reaches  ita 
appointed  station,  as  above,  n.  547 ;  by  the  face  of  tlie  serpent 
is  signified  the  subtle  arts  of  seducers  ;  by  the  face,  subtle  art- 
fulness ;  and  by  the  serpent,  seducers.  That  by  the  serpent  are 
signified  seducers,  is  plain  from  the  following  passage  in  this 
chapter :  "  The  great  dragon  was  cast  out,  that  old  serjjent, 
which  sediiceth  the  whole  globe  of  earth,"  verse  9.  And  again  : 
"  He  laid  hold  on  the  dragon,  that  old  serpent,  and  cast  him 
into  the  bottomless  pit,  that  he  should  seduce  the  nations  no 
more,"  Apoc.  xx.  2,  3.  The  like  is  here  meant  as  by  the  ser- 
pent who  seduced  Eve  and  Adam,  of  whom  it  is  written  :  "  And 
the  serpent  was  more  subtle  than  any  beast  of  the  field  ; — and 
the  woman  said  to  Jehovah,  The  seipent  seduced  me,"  Gen.  iii. 
1,  13.  By  face,  in  the  Word,  is  signified  that  which  is  interior 
in  man,  because  his  face  is  the  type  of  his  mind  formed  to  the 
correspondence  ;  therefore,  by  the  face  of  the  serpent  is  signi- 
fied anger,  hatred,  and  subtlety.  By  a  time,  and  times,  and 
half  a  time,  is  signified  the  same  here,  as  by  a  thousand  two 
hundred  and  sixty  days,  verse  6,  where  it  is  said :  "  And  the 
woman  fled  into  the  wilderness,  where  she  hath  a  place  pre- 
pared of  God,  that  the}'  should  feed  her  a  thousand  two  hun- 
dred and  sixty  dai/s"  which  may  be  seen  explained  above,  n. 
547.  The  same  is  also  signified  by  three  days  and  a  half,  Apoc. 
xi.  9,  10 ;  also  by  the  three  years  and  six  months  of  famine, 
Luke  iv.  25  ;  and  in  Daniel,  by  a  stated  time  of  stated  times  and 
a  half,  and  when  he  shall  have  accomplished  to  scatter  the 
power  of  the  holy  people,  Dan.  xii.  7. 

563.  And  the  serpent  cast  out  of  his  mouth  water  as  a  flood 
after  the  woman,  that  he  might  cause  her  to  be  carried  away 
of  the  flood,  signifies  ratiocinations  from  falses  in  abundance, 
with  a  view  to  destroy  the  church.  By  the  serpent  is  here  sig- 
nified, as  above,  the  dragon  which  seduces;  by  the  woman,  the 
J^ew  Church,  n.  533  ;  by  water  are  signified  truths,  and,  in 
an  opposite  sense,  falses,  n.  50,  409 ;  by  a  flood  are  signified 
truths  in  abundance,  and  in  an  opposite  sense,  falses  in  abun- 
dance, n.  409;  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  serpent,  signifies  ratioci- 
nations ;  therefore  by  casting  out  water  as  a  flood,  are  signified 
ratiocinations  from  falses  in  abundance.  The  ratiocinations  of 
those,  who  are  meant  by  the  dragon,  are  all  grounded  in  fallacies 
and  appearances,  which,  if  confirmed,  appear  outwardly  like 
truths,  but  within  they  conceal  falses  in  abundance.  This  I  can 
declare,  that  those  in  the  church,  who  hereafter  confirm  them- 
selves in  faith  alone,  cannot  recede  from  it,  except  by  serious 
repentance,  because  they  conjoin  themselves  with  the  dragonists, 
who  now  are  in  the  world  of  spirits,  giving  rise  to  much  tumult, 
where,  out  of  hatred  to  the  Kew  Cliurch,  they  infest  all  M-honi 
they  meet;  and  as  tliey  are  in  conjunction  with  men  on  earth, 
as  observed  above,  they  will  not  suffer  those  who  have  onca 
433 


V.  14 16.]  TIIK    APOCALYP8K    IxKVKALED.  564 

been  caught  by  tlieir  reasonings  to  disengage  themselves,  for 
tliey  keep  them  bound  in  chains,  as  it  were,  and  tlien  blind 
their  eyes  so  that  they  can  no  longer  see  any  one  truth  in  its 
light. 

564.  And  the  earth  helped  the  woman  j  and  the  earth  opened 
her  mouth,  and  swallowed  up  thejiood  wliich  the  dragon  cast  out 
of  his  viouth,  signifies  that  tliose  ratiocinations,  in  all  their 
abundance,  fall  to  nothing  before  the  spiritual  truths  rationally 
understood,  wiiich  the  Micluiels,  of  whom  tlie  New  Church 
consists,  can  bring  forward.  By  the  earth,  which  helped  the 
woman,  is  signitied  the  church  as  to  doctrine,  n.  285  ;  and  be- 
cause the  ratiociiuitions  from  falses,  which  the  dragonists  pro- 
duce, are  treated  of,  they  are  truths  from  the  Word,  by  which 
the  earth,  that  is,  the  church,  helps  the  woman  ;  by  opening 
her  mouth  is  signitied  to  adduce  those  truths  ;  by  the  tlooil 
which  the  dragon  cast  out  of  his  mouth,  are  signitied  ratiocina- 
tions from  falses  in  abundance,  n.  563 :  by  carrying  away  is 
signified  to  make  tiiem  come  to  nothing;  by  the  Micliaels  are 
meant  the  men  of  the  New  Church ;  by  Michael,  such  as  are 
M'ise  therein  ;  and  by  his  angels,  the  rest  of  them.  Since  in 
the  New  Church  this  tenet  is  rejected,  that  the  understanding 
is  to  be  kept  in  subjection  to  faith,  and  in  the  place  of  it,  it  is 
a  received  maxim,  that  the  truth  of  the  church  should  be  seen, 
in  order  that  it  may  be  believed,  n.  224;  and  since  truth  can- 
not be  seen  otherwise  than  rationally,  therefore  it  is  said,  from 
truths  rationally  understood.  How  can  any  man  be  led  b}'  the 
Lord,  and  conjoined  with  heaven,  who  shuts  up  his  understand- 
ing against  such  things  as  relate  to  salvation  and  eternal  life? 
Is  it  not  the  understanding  which  requires  to  be  illuminated 
and  instructed?  And  what  is  the  understanding  closed  by  re- 
ligion, but  thick  darkness,  and  such  darkness  too  as  rejects 
from  itself  the  light  that  would  illuminate  ?  Again,  who  can 
acknowledge  truth  and  retain  it,  nnless  he  sees  it?  What  is 
truth  not  seen  but  a  voice  not  understood,  which,  by  sensual 
corporeal  men,  is  usually  retained  in  the  memorj^  but  not  so 
by  the  wise?  The  wise,  indeed,  cast  off  empty  or  unmeaning 
words  from  the  memory,  that  is,  such  as  have  not  entered  into 
their  minds  by  being  understood  ;  as  that  one  God  consists  of 
three  persons,  also  that  the  Lord,  born  from  eternity,  is  not  one 
and  the  same  with  the  Lord  born  in  time,  that  is,  that  one  Lord 
is  God  and  not  the  other ;  and  again,  that  a  life  of  charity, 
which  consists  in  good  works,  and  likewise  in  repenting  of  evil 
works,  contributes  nothing  to  salvation  ;  a  wise  man  does  not 
understand  such  things  ;  theref)re  fr'm  his  rationality  he  says, 
Is  religion  then  of  no  consequence?  Does  not  religion  consist 
in  shunnini;  evil  and  doinj;  t'ood?  Should  not  the  doctrine  of 
the  church  teach  this,  as  well  as  a  man  ought  to  believe,  thai 
he  may  do  the  good  things  of  religion  from  God  ? 
4ij9 


565  THE   APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Cliap.  XlL 

565,  A7id  t/ie  dragmx  was  wroth  with  the  woman^  and  went 
to  make  war  with  the  remnant  of  her  seed,  who  keep  the  com- 
vnandments  of  God,  and  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ,  sig- 
nifies the  burning  hatred  of  those  who  think  themselves  wise 
from  their  confirmations  of  the  mystical  union  of  the  Divinity 
and  Humanity  in  the  Lord,  and  of  justification  by  faith  alone, 
against  those  who  acknowledge  the  Lord  alone  to  be  the  God 
of  heaven  and  earth,  and  that  the  decalogue  is  the  law  of  life; 
and  their  attempts  on  novitiates  with  intent  to  seduce  them. 
All  this  is  contained  in  those  few  w^ords,  because  it  follows  in  a 
series  from  what  went  before,  where  it  is  said,  that  the  earth 
helped  the  woman,  and  opened  her  mouth,  and  carried  away 
the  flood  which  the  di-agon  cast  out  of  his  mouth,  by  which  is 
signified  that  their  reasonings  from  falses  came  to  nothing,  n. 
564 ;  consequently  that  their  endeavours  to  destroy  the  ISTew 
Church  were  vain  ;  therefore  by  the  dragon  being  wroth  with 
the  woman,  is  signified  that  he  burned  with  hatred  and  breathed 
revenge  against  the  church  ;  by  the  dragon's  wrath  is  signified 
hatred,  n.  558  ;  by  making  war  is  signified  to  assault  and  im- 
pugn by  ratiocinations  grounded  in  falses,  n.  500 ;  by  the  rem- 
nant of  her  seed  which  keep  the  commandments  of  God  and 
have  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ,  are  meant  novitiates,  who 
receive  the  doctrine  concei-ning  the  Lord  and  the  decalogue ; 
Avhat  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ  is,  may  be  seen  above,  n. 
6,  490.  The  reason  wdiy  by  the  dragon  are  here  meant  those 
who  think  themselves  wise  from  confirmations  of  the  mystical 
union  of  the  Lord's  Divinity  and  Humanity,  is,  because  these 
are  proud  of  their  own  wisdom,  and  skilled  in  reasoning;  and 
from  pride  proceeds  hatred,  and  from  hatred  proceed  revenge 
and  wrath  against  those  who  are  not  of  the  same  opinion.  By 
the  mystical  union,  which  is  also  called  the  hypostatic  union, 
are  meant  their  fictions  concerning  the  influx  and  operation  of 
the  Divinity  upon  the  Lord's  numanity  as  upon  another;  not 
knowing  that  God  and  Man,  or  Divinity  and  Humanity  in  the 
Lord,  are  not  two  but  one  person,  united  like  soul  and  body, 
according  to  the  doctrine  received  throughout  the  whole  Chris- 
tian world,  which  has  its  name  from  Athanasius  ;  but  to  adduce 
their  notions  respecting  this  mystical  union  w^ould  be  an  idle 
thing,  because  they  are  absurd.  That  by  the  seed  of  the  woman 
are  here  meant  those  who  are  of  the  New  Church,  and  are 
principled  in  the  truths  of  its  doctrine,  may  appear  from  the 
Hignification  of  seed,  in  the  following  passages  :  "  Their  seed 
shall  be  known  among  the  Gentiles,  and  their  ofiPspring  among 
the  jjeople,  all  that  see  shall  acknowledge  them,  that  they  are 
the  6f^^<i  which  Jehovah  hath  blessed,"  Isaiah  Ixi.  9.  "They 
are  the  seed  of  tlie  blessed  of  Jehovah,"  Isaiah  Ixv.  23.  "As 
the  new  heavens  and  the  new  earth  which  I  will  make,  shal 
remain  before  me,  so  shall  your  seed  remain,"  Isaiah  Ixvi.  22. 
440 


V.  17,  18.]         THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.         565^,  56G 

"  The  seed  wliicli  shall  serve  him,  it  shall  be  acconnted  to  the 
Lord  for  a  generation,"  Psalm  xxii.  31.  "  I  will  put  enmity 
between  thee  and  the  woman,  and  between  thy  seed  and  the 
v)oman''s  seed,''''  Gen.  iii.  15.  "Tliat  he  might  seek  a  godly 
needj''^  Malachi  ii.  15.  "  Behold  the  days  come,  when  1  will 
aoivthii  house  of  Israel  and  the  house  uf  Judah  with  tlie  seed  of 
man,"  Jerem.  xxxi.  27.  "  When  thou  shalt  make  his  soul  an 
offering  for  sin,  he  shall  see  seed^''  Isaiah  liii.  10.  "  Fear  not, 
for  I  am  with  thee,  I  will  bring  thy  seed  from  the  east,"  Isaiah 
xliii.  5,  6.  "  Thou  shalt  break  forth  on  the  right  hand  and  on 
the  left,  and  thy  seed  shall  inherit  the  Gentiles,"  Isaiah  liv.  3. 
"  I  had  j>lanted  thee  a  noble  vine,  a  seed  of  truth.,  how  then 
art  thou  turned  into  the  degenerate  plant  of  a  strange  vine 
unto  nie,"  Jerem.  ii.  21.  "Their  fruit  slialt  thou  destroy  from 
the  earth,  and  tlieir  seed  from  among  the  children  of  men," 
Psalm  xxi.  11.  ''Their  seed  are  the  children  of  the  kingdom," 
Matt.  xiii.  38.  The  same  is  signified  by  the  seed  of  Israel^ 
because  Israel  is  the  church,  Isaiah  xli.  8,  9 ;  xliv.  3 ;  Jerem. 
xxiii.  8 ;  xxxi.  35,  36 ;  and  also  by  the  seed  of  David,  because 
David  is  the  Lord,  Jerem.  xxx.  10 ;  xxxiii.  22,  25,  26 ;  Psalm 
Ixxxix,  -i,  5,  29 ;  and  by  the  seed  of  the  field,  because  a  field 
signifies  the  church  in  many  places.  But  the  contrary  is  signi- 
fied by  the  seed  of  the  ivicked,  Isaiah  i.  4 ;  xiv.  20  ;  Ivii.  3,  4 ; 
and  by  the  seed  of  the  serpent.  Gen.  iii.  15. 

565^.  And  I  stood  tijpon  the  sand  of  the  sea,  sig!iifies  that 
his  state  was  now  spiritual-natural,  such  as  prevails  with  those 
who  are  in  the  first  or  nltimate  heaven.  By  the  saiul  of  the  sea 
such  a  state  is  signified,  because  by  the  sea  is  signified  the  ex- 
ternal of  the  cliurch  ;  this  state  is  called  spiritual-natural,  such 
as  exists  with  those  who  are  in  the  tirst  or  ultimate  heaven  :  he 
had  been  above  in  heaven  previously,  where  he  saw  the  dragon, 
his  combat  with  Michael,  his  being  cast  out,  and  his  persecution 
of  the  woman  ;  but  now,  when  the  dragon  is  cast  down,  and 
continues  to  be  treated  of  in  what  follows,  John  is  let  down  in 
spirit,  to  the  end  that  he  nuiy  see  more  of  the  drag-)!!  l)eneath 
the  heavens,  and  describe  the  same ;  in  which  state  he  saw  two 
beasts  come  up,  one  out  of  the  sea,  and  the  other  out  of  the 
earth,  Mdiich  he  could  not  have  seen  from  heaven,  because  it  ia 
not  permitted  any  angel  to  look  down  from  heaven  into  the 
lower  regions,  but  if  he  chooses  lie  may  go  down.  It  is  to  be 
observed,  that  in  the  spiritual  world  place  corresponds  to  state, 
for  no  one  can  be  anywhere  else  than  where  the  state  of  his  life 
is;  and  as  John  now  stood  upon  tlie  sand  of  the  sea,  it  follows 
that  his  state  now  was  spiritual-naturjd. 

566.  Here  I  will  add  this  ]\Icinoruble  lielanon.    There  arose 
a  question  among  some  spirits,  whether  a  man  can  see  any 
doctrinal  theological  truth  in  the  Word,  except  from  the  Lord, 
441 


566  thp:  apocalypse  revealed.  [Chap.  xii. 

In  tliis  tliey  all  agreed,  that  it  could  only  be  done  from  God, 
because  "No  man  can  receive  any  thing  except  it  be  given  him 
from  heaven,"  John  iii.  27 ;  for  whicli  reason  it  was  made  a 
question,  whether  it  were  possible  without  immediately  ap- 
proaching tlie  Lord.  On  one  side  it  was. urged,  that  the  Lord 
ought  directly  to  be  approached,  because  he  is  the  "Word ;  on 
the  other  it  was  maintained  that  a  doctrinal  truth  might  also  be 
seen  when  God  the  Father  was  immediately  approached  ;  there- 
fore tlie  main  point  of  debate  at  last  rested  here,  whether  it 
was  admissible  for  an>  Christian  to  approach  God  the  Father 
immediately,  and  thus  climb  above  the  Lord  ;  and  whether  this 
was  not  a  most  indecent  and  rash  insolence  and  boldness,  be- 
cause the  Lord  said,  that  no  one  cometh  to  the  Father  but  by 
him,  John  xiv.  6.  This  they  paid  no  attention  to,  but  asserted 
that  man  can  see  doctrinal  truth  in  the  Word  from  his  own  na- 
tural light ;  this,  however,  was  rejected  :  they  therefore  insisted 
that  it  might  be  seen  by  those  who  pray  to  God  the  Father ; 
upon  which,  when  a  passage  from  the  Word  was  read  to  them, 
they  fell  on  their  knees,  and  prayed  that  God  the  Father  would 
enlighten  them  ;  and  as  to  wliat  had  been  read  to  them  out  of 
the  Word,  they  said,  that  such  and  sucli  truths  might  be  thence 
collected,  but  these,  in  fact,  were  falsities;  and  this  they  re- 
peated several  times  even  to  tediousness,  till  at  length  they 
were  obliged  to  confess  that  it  was  not  in  their  power.  On  the 
other  hand,  they  who  applied  immediately  to  the  Lord,  could 
see  truths,  and  explain  them.  After  this  dispute,  tliere  came  up 
out  of  the  abyss  certain  spirits,  who  appeared  at  first  sight  like 
locusts,  but  afterwards  like  men ;  they  were  some  who  in  the 
world  had  directed  their  prayers  to  God  the  Father,  and  con- 
firnied  themselves  in  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith  alone, 
affirming  that  they  could  see  in  clear  light,  and  this  from  the 
Word,  that  man  is  justified  by  faith  alone  without  the  works  of 
the  law.  Being  asked,  "  By  what  faith  ?"  they  replied,  "  By 
faith  in  God  the  Father."  But  after  they  were  examined,  it 
was  signified  to  them  from  heaven,  that  they  were  not  acquainted 
with  a  single  doctrinal  truth  from  the  Word ;  to  which  they  re- 
l^lied,  that  this  truth  however  they  saw  in  the  clearest  light; 
upon  which  they  were  tokl  that  they  saw  it  in  the  light  of  infat- 
uation ;  they  asked,  "  What  is  the  light  of  infatuation  ?"  and 
were  informed,  "That  the  light  of  infatuation  is  the  light  aris- 
ing from  the  confirmation  of  what  is  false,  and  that  that  light 
corresponds  to  the  light  in  which  owls  and  bats  are,  darkness 
being  light  to  them,  and  light  darkness."  This  was  confirmed 
by  what  they  themselves  experienced,  in  that,  when  they  looked 
up  to  heaven,  wlj^ch  is  light  itself,  tliey  saw  only  darkness,  and 
that  when  they  looked  down  into  the  abyss  from  whence  thev 
came,  they  saw  light.  At  this  appeal  to  their  own  case  they 
were  mucli  offended,  and  said,  "At  this  rate  light  and  darkness 
442 


Chap,  xii.]  the  apocalypse  revealed.  566 

are  notliing  Liit  states  of  the  eye,  in  consequence  of  wlilch  lii:;]it 
is  said  to  be  light  and  darkness  darkness."  But  it  was  shown 
them,  that  the  light  by  wliich  they  saw  was  the  light  of  infat- 
uation, arising  from  the  confirmation  of  what  is  false,  and  that 
it  was  merely  the  activity  of  their  minds  excited  by  the  lire  of 
concupiscences,  not  uidike  the  light  of  cats,  whose  eyes  appear 
like  flame  in  the  nigi>t-time,  in  consequence  of  their  burning 
appetite  for  prey.  On  hearing  these  words,  they  rej)lied  with 
anger,  that  they  were  not  cats,  nor  like  cats,  because  they  could 
see  if  they  chose ;  but  fearing  to  be  asked  why  they  did  not 
choose,  they  retired,  and  sunk  down  into  their  own  nbyss  and 
its  light.  They  who  dwell  there,  and  such  as  resemble  them, 
are  called  owls  and  bats. 

"When  they  were  come  to  their  companions  in  the  abyss,  and 
had  told  them  what  the  angels  had  said,  that  they  were  i-gnorant 
of  any  doctrinal  truth  whatever,  and  had  therefore  called  them 
owls  and  bats,  it  caused  a  tumult,  and  they  said,  "  Let  us  pray 
to  the  Lord  for  permission  to  ascend,  and  we  will  prove  cleai-ly 
that  we  are  in  possession  of  many  doctrinal  truths,  which  the 
archangels  themselves  acknowledge ;"  and  because  they  prayed 
to  the  Lord,  j)ermission  was  given  ;  and  they  ascended,  to  the 
number  of  three  hundred  ;  and  when  they  appeared  above 
ground,  they  said,  "  We  were  held  in  great  fame  and  reputa- 
tion in  the  world,  from  understanding  and  teaching  the  myste- 
ries of  justification  by  faith  alone,  and  from  repeated  confirma- 
tions, we  not  only  saw  it  in  the  light,  but  in  its  meridian 
brightness,  as  we  still  continue  to  do  in  our  cells  ;  and  yet  we 
are  informed  b}^  our  companions  who  have  been  with  you,  that 
our  light  is  not  light,  but  darkness ;  by  reason  that  we  are  not, 
as  asserted  by  you,  in  possession  of  a  single  doctrinal  truth  from 
the  Word.  Now  we  know  that  every  truth  of  the  Word  is 
luminous,  aiid  we  have  believed  that  our  glittering  light  was 
from  thence,  when  engaged  in  profound  meditation  upon  these 
mysteries ;  therefore  we  will  demonstrate  to  you  that  we  have 
truths  from  the  Word  in  great  abundance."  And  then  they 
said,  "  Have  we  not  this  truth,  that  there  is  a  trinity,  consist- 
ing of  God  the  Father,  God  the  Son,  and  God  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  that  this  trinity  is  an  object  of  faith?  Have  we  not  this 
truth,  that  Christ  is  our  Iledeemer  and  Saviour?  Have  we  not 
this  truth,  that  Christ  alone  is  righteousness,  and  that  he  oidy  has 
merit ;  and  that  he  is  unrighteous  and  wicked  M'ho  would  attri- 
bute'to  himself  any  part  of  his  merit  and  righteousness  ?  Have 
we  not  this  truth,  that  no  man  can  do  any  spiritual  good  from 
himself,  but  that  all  gnod,  which  is  really  such,  is  froni  God  ? 
Have  we  not  this  truth,  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  meritorious 
and  also  li;\'pocritical  good,  and  that  all  such  good  is  evil? 
Have  we  not  this  truth,  that  man  from  his  own  power  cannot 
in  the  least  contribute  to  his  own  salvation?  Have  we  not  this 
443 


566  THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.        [Chap.  Xll. 

truth,  tliat  nevertheless  works  of  charity  should  be  done?  Have 
we  not  this  truth,  that  faith  exists,  and  that  it  ought  to  be  be- 
lieved, and  that  every  one  obtains  life  according  to  his  belief? 
not  to  mention  many  other  truths  from  the  Word  :  now  which 
of  you  can  deny  any  one  of  them  ?  Yet  you  say,  that  in  our 
schools  there  is  not  a  single  truth;  is  not  this  assertion  grounded 
in  prejudice  and  dislike?"  But  then  it  was  given  them  for 
answer,  "  All  that  you  have  adduced,  in  themselves  are  truths, 
but  you  have  falsiiied  them  by  applying  them  to  confirm  a 
false  principle ;  therefore  they  are  with  y<*u,  and  in  you,  truths 
falsified,  these  being  rendered  false  by  that  false  principle  ;  this 
we  will  prove  to  you  by  ocular  demonstration.  There  is  a  place 
not  far  distant,  into  which  the  light  flows  immediately  from 
heaven  ;  in  the  midst  of  it  there  is  a  table,  on  which  if  any 
piece  of  paper  be  placed,  having  any  truth  from  the  Word 
written  upon  it,  by  virtue  of  that  truth  the  writing  instantly 
shines  like  a  star :  write  therefore  the  truths  you  mentioned  on 
a  piece  of  paper,  and  place  it  on  this  talde,  and  3'ou  will  be 
convinced."  They  did  so,  and  gave  it  to  the  person  who  had 
charge  of  the  table,  who  placed  it  thereon,  and  then  desired 
them  to  remove  to  a  little  distance,  and  look  towards  the  table ; 
they  did  so,  and  lo !  the  paper  shone  like  a  star ;  then  said  the 
keeper,  "  You  see  that  these  are  truths  wliicli  you  have  written 
on  the  paper;  but  come  nearer,  and  fix  your  eyes  attentively  on 
the  paper ;"  and  they  did  so,  and  the  light  then  suddenly  dis- 
appeared, and  the  paper  became  black,  as  the  smoke  of  a  fur- 
nace. Then  said  the  keeper,  "  Now  touch  the  paper  with  your 
hands,  but  take  heed  not  to  touch  any  part  of  the  writing ;" 
and,  as  they  did  so,  it  took  fire  and  was  consumed.  This  sight 
made  them  hastily  retire;  and  they  were  informed,  that  if  they 
had  touched  the  writing,  they  would  have  heard  an  explosion, 
and  their  fingers  would  have  been  burnt.  Upon  this  it  was  re- 
marked by  those  who  were  standing  behind,  "You  see  now, 
that  tlie  truths  which  you  have  abused  to  the  confirmation  of 
the  arcana  of  your  justifying  faith,  are  in  themselves  truths, 
but  in  you  they  are  truths  falsified."  They  then  looked  upwards, 
and  the  heavens  appeared  to  them  like  blood,  and  afterwards  as 
thick  darkness ;  and  in  the  eyes  of  the  angelic  spirits,  some  of 
them  looked  like  bats,  some  like  owls,  some  like  moles,  and 
Home  like  birds  of  night ;  and  they  fled  away  to  their  own  re- 
gions of  darkness,  which  shone  in  their  eyes  from  the  light  of 
infatuation. 

The  angelic  spirits  who  were  present  wondered  that  they  had 
not  known  any  thing  of  this  place,  or  of  the  table  it  contained, 
before ;  and  immediately  a  voice  came  to  them  from  the  south- 
ern quarter,  saying,  "  Come  up  hither,  and  you  shall  see  some- 
thing still  more  wonderful."  So  they  went,  and  entered  into  a 
room,  the  walls  of  which  shone  as  with  gold ;  where  also  thev 
444 


Chap,  xii.]  the  apocalypse  revealed.  56G 

saw  a  table,  on  wliicli  lay  the  "Word,  decorated  on  all  sides  with 
precious  stones  in  celestial  arrangement.  Then  the  angel  who 
kept  it  said,  "  When  the  Word  is  opened,  there  beams  from  it 
a  light  of  inexpressible  brightness,  and  at  the  same  time,  from 
the  precious  stones,  there  is  presented  the  a])j)earance  of  a 
rainbow,  as  it  were,  encompassing  tlie  Word.  When  an  angel 
from  tlie  third  heaven  approaches  and  looks  at  the  Word  as  it 
lies  open,  the  ground  of  the  rainbow  appears  of  a  crimson 
colour ;  when  an  angel  from  the  second  heaven  approaches  and 
views  it,  tlie  ground  appears  of  a  blue  colour ;  when  an  angel 
from  the  ultimate  or  lowest  heaven  approaches  and  looks  at  it, 
the  ground  a})i)ears  wliite  ;  and  when  any  good  spirit  comes 
and  looks,  tliere  appears  a  variegation  of  the  light  like  marble." 
The  trutli  of  all  this  was  manifested  to  them  by  ocular  demon- 
stration. Tlie  angel  who  kept  it  added,  "If  any  one  a])proaches 
who  has  falsified  the  Word,  the  brightness  at  first  disappears, 
and  if  he  comes  nearer,  and  fixes  his  eyes  upon  the  Word,  it 
seems  covered  with  blood,  and  then  he  is  admonished  to  depart, 
by  reason  of  the  danger."  A  certain  person,  however,  who,  in 
the  world,  had  been  a  leading  writer  in  favour  of  the  doctrine 
of  justification  by  faith  alone,  approached  with  great  confidence, 
and  said,  "When  I  was  in  the  world,  I  never  falsified  the 
Word ;  I  laid  equal  stress  on  charity  as  on  faith,  and  taught 
that  man  in  the  state  of  faith,  in  which  he  exercises  charity  and 
its  works,  is  renewed,  regenerated,  and  sanctified  ;  and  also  that 
faith  could  not  exist  solitary,  or  without  good  works,  any  more 
than  a  good  tree  without  fruit,  or  the  sun  without  light,  or  the 
fire  without  heat ;  I  also  blamed  those  who  asserted  that  good 
works  were  unnecessary,  and  that  the  commandments  of  the 
decalogue  need  not  be  observed ;  I  also  laid  great  stress  on  re- 
pentance, and  thus,  in  a  wonderful  manner,  ap})lied  all  things 
in  the  Word  to  this  single  article  of  faith,  which  I  discovered 
and  demonstrated  to  be  the  only  medium  of  salvation."  Con- 
fident in  the  truth  of  his  own  assertion,  that  he  had  never 
falsified  the  Word,  he  approached  the  table,  and,  in  spite  of 
the  angel's  caution,  touched  the  Word  ;  when  suddenly  there 
issued  tire  and  smoke  from  the  Word,  attended  with  a  loud 
explosion,  which  cast  him  into  a  corner  of  the  room,  where  ho 
lay  for  the  space  of  an  hour,  as  if  he  were  dead.  The  angelic 
spirits  wondered  at  this,  but  they  were  informed,  that  this 
prelate  had  been  more  strenuous  than  others  in  exalting  the 
good  fruits  of  charity  as  proceeding  from  faith,  but  that,  never- 
theless, he  meant  no  other  than  political  works,  which  are  also 
called  moral  and  civil,  and  are  perf  )rmed  for  the  sake  of  the 
•world  and  prosperity  therein,  and  not  out  of  obedience  to  God 
and  for  the  sake  of  salvation ;  and  also  that  he  had  some  idea 
of  imperceotible  works  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  of  which  a  man  is 
445 


566  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Chap,  xiii, 

not  conscious,  which  are  engendered  in  the  act  of  faith  during 
the  state  thereof. 

The  angelic  spirits  had  then  some  conversation  with  each 
other  about  the  falsification  of  the  Word,  and  they  agreed  in 
this,  that  to  falsify  the  Word  is  to  take  truths  out  of  it,  and 
apply  them  to  confirm  what  is  false,  which  is  to  extract  truths 
from  the  Word  and  to  destroy  them ;  as,  for  example,  to  take 
this  truth,  that  a  man  ought  to  love  his  neighbour,  and  from 
love  do  good  to  him  for  the  sake  of  God  and  life  eternal,  and 
then  to  insist  that  it  ought  to  be  done,  but  not  for  the  sake  o( 
salvation,  because  every  good  that  comes  from  man  is  not 
good ;  this  is  to  extract  truth  from  the  Word,  and  when  it  is 
so  extracted,  to  destroy  it;  because  the  Lord  in  his  Word 
enjoins  every  man,  who  would  be  saved,  to  do  good  to  his 
neighbour  as  from  himself;  and  yet  to  believe  that  he  does  it 
from  the  Lord. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


1.  And  I  saw  a  beast  rise  up  out  of  the  sea,  having  seven 
heads  and  ten  horns,  and  upon  his  horns  ten  diadems,  and  upon 
his  heads  the  name  of  blasphemy. 

2.  And  the  beast  which  I  saw  was  like  unto  a  leopard,  and 
his  feet  were  as  the  feet  of  a  bear,  and  his  mouth  as  the  mouth 
of  a  lion ;  and  the  dragon  gave  him  his  strength,  and  his 
throne,  and  great  power. 

3.  And  I  saw  one  of  his  heads  as  it  were  wounded  to  death  ; 
and  his  deadly  wound  was  healed ;  and  all  the  world  wondered 
after  the  beast. 

4.  And  they  worshipped  the  dragon,  which  gave  power 
unto  the  beast ;  and  they  worshipped  the  beast,  saying.  Who 
is  like  nnto  the  beast?  who  is  able  to  fight  with  him? 

5.  And  there  was  given  unto  him  a  mouth  speaking  great 
things  and  blasphemies ;  and  power  was  given  unto  him  to 
continue  forty-two  months. 

6.  And  he  opened  his  mouth  in  blasphemy  against  God,  to 
blaspheme  his  name,  and  his  tabernacle,  and  them  that  dwell 
in  heaven. 

7.  And  it  was  given  unto  him  to  make  war  with  the  saints, 
and  to  overcome  them :  and  power  was  given  him  over  every 
tribe,  and  tongue,  and  nation. 

8.  And  all  that  dwell  upon  the  earth  shall  worship  liiiu 
whose  names  are  not  written  in  the  book  of  life  of  the  Lamb. 
elain  from  the  foundation  of  the  world. 

9.  If  any  man  have  an  ear  let  him  hear, 
U6 


Cliap.  xiii.]  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED. 

10.  lie  that  loadetli  into  captivity  shall  go  into  captivity- 
he  that  killeth  Avith  the  sword  must  be  killed  with  the  sword. 
Here  is  the  patience  and  the  faith  of  the  saints. 

11.  And  I  beheld  another  beast  coming  up  out  of  the  earth: 
and  he  had  two  horns  like  a  lamb,  and  he  spake  as  a  dragon. 

12.  And  he  exerciseth  all  the  power  of  the  first  beast  be- 
fore him,  and  causeth  the  earth  and  them  that  dwell  therein  to 
worship  the  first  beast,  whose  deadly  wound  was  healed. 

13.  And  he  doeth  great  signs,  so  that  he  maketh  fire  coma 
down  from  heaven  on  the  earth  in  the  sight  of  men. 

14.  And  deceiveth  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  by  the 
means  of  those  signs,  which  he  had  power  to  do  in  the  sight  of 
the  beast;  saying  to  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  that  they 
should  make  an  image  to  the  beast  which  had  the  wound  by  a 
sword  and  lived. 

15.  And  he  had  poM-er  to  give  breath  unto  the  image  of  the 
beast,  that  the  image  of  the  beast  should  both  speak,  and  cause 
that  as  many  as  would  not  worship  the  image  of  the  beast 
should  be  killed. 

16.  And  he  caused  all,  both  small  and  great,  and  rich  and 
poor,  free  and  bond,  to  receive  a  mark  in  their  right  hand,  or 
m  their  foreheads. 

17.  And  that  no  man  might  buy  or  sell,  save  he  that  had 
the  mark,  or  the  name  of  the  beast,  or  the  number  of  his  name. 

18.  Here  is  wisdom.  Let  him  that  hath  understanding 
count  the  number  of  the  beast;  for  it  is  the  number  of  a  man; 
and  his  number  is  six  hundred  and  sixty-six. 


THE  SPIRITUAL  SENSE. 


The  Contents  of  the  whole  Chaiter.  In  tliis  chapter  the 
dragon  continues  to  be  treated  of,  and  the  doctrine  and  faith 
signified  by  him  is  described  ;  what  its  quality  is  among  the 
laity,  and  afterwards  what  its  quality  is  among  the  clergy  :  by 
the  beast  which  came  up  out  of  the  sea,  that  doctrine  and  faith 
is  described,  as  it  exists  with  the  laity,  verse  1 — 10;  and  by 
the  beast  out  of  the  earth,  the  same  among  the  clergy,  verse  11 
— 17  :  lastly,  concerning  the  falsification  of  the  Word  by  the 
latter,  verse  18. 

The  Contents  of  each  Verse.  Y.  1,  "And  I  saw  a  beast 
rise  up  out  of  the  sea,"  signifies  the  laity  in  the  churc-lies  of  the 
Reformed,  who  are  principled  in  the  doctrine  and  faith  of  the 
dragon  concerning  God  and  salvation  :  "  Having  seven  heads," 
signifies  insanity  arising  from  mere  falses  :  "And  ten  hoi-ns," 
signifies  much  power:  "And  upon  his  horns  ten  diadems, 
447 


THE    APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Chap.  Xiii. 

signifies  tlie  power  of  falsifying  many  truths  of  the  "Word  : 
"And  upon  his  heads  the  name  of  bhasphemy,"  signifies  denial 
of  the  Lord's  Divine  Humanity,  and  doctrine  of  the  church  not 
drawn  from  the  Word,  but  from  self-derived  intelligence :  v.  2, 
"  And  the  beast  which  I  saw  was  like  unto  a  leopard,"  signifies 
a  heresy  destructive  of  the  church  because  derived  from  truths 
of  the  Word  falsified:   "And  his  feet  were  as  the  feet  of  a 
bear,"  signifies  full  of  tiillacies  from   the  literal  sense  of  the 
Word  read  but  not  understood  :  "And  his  mouth  as  the  mouth 
of  a  lion,"    signifies   reasonings  from  falses  as  from    truths : 
"And  the  dragon  gave  him  his  strength,  and  his  throne,  and 
great  power,"  signifies  that  this  heresy  prevails  and  reigns  in 
consequence  of  its  reception  by  the  laity  :  v.  3,  "  And  I  saw  one 
of  his  heads  as  it  were  wounded  to  death,"  signifies  that  the 
doctrine  of  faith  alone  does  not  acccord  with  the  Word,  in  which 
works  are  so  often  enjoined:   "And   his  deadly  wound  was 
healed,"  signifies  the  remedy  applied  on  this  account :  "  And 
all  the  worfd  wondered  after  the  lieast,"  signifies  that  then  this 
doctrine  and  faith  was  gladly  received:  v.  4,  "And  they  wor- 
shipped the  dragon  which  gave  power  unto  the  beast,"  signifies 
an  acknowledgment  that  it  is  such  as  is  laid  down  by  the  leaders 
and  teachers,  who  have  established  its  authority  on  the  recep- 
tion they  have  procured  for  it  among  the  community  at  large : 
"And  they  worshipped  the  beast,"  signifies  an  acknowledgment 
on  the  part  of  the  community,  that  it  is  holy  truth :  "  Saying, 
Who  is  like  unto  the  beast,  who  is  able  to  fight  with  him?"  sig- 
nifies the  excellence  of  that  doctrine,  because  it  cannot  be  con- 
tradicted by  any  one:  v.  5,  "And  there  was  given  unto  him  a 
mouth  speaking  great  things  and  blasphemies,"  signifies  that  it 
teaches  what  is  evil  and  false:  "And  power  was  given  unto 
him   to   continue  forty-two  months,"  signifies   the   liberty   of 
teaching  and  doing  the  evils  and  falses  of  that  doctrine,  even  to 
the  end  of  that  church  and  the  beginning  of  the  new :  v.  6, 
"And  he  opened  his  mouth  in  blasphemy  against  God,  to  blas- 
pheme his  .name,"  signifies  their  sayings,  which  are  scandals 
against  the  Essential  Divinity  and  Divine  Humanity  of  the 
Lord,  and  at  the  same  time  against  every  thing  relating  to  the 
church  derived  from  the  AVord,  whereby  the  Lord  is  worshipped : 
"And  his  tabernacle,  and  them  that  dwell  in  lieaven,"  signifies 
scandals  against  the  Lord's  celestial  kingdom  and  against  heaven : 
V.  7,  "And  it  was  given  unto  him  to  make  war  with  the  saints 
and  to  overcome  them,"  signifies  that  they  have  impugned 
the  divine  truths  of  the  Word,  and   cast  them  down  to  the 
ground:  "And  power  was  given  him  over  every  tribe,  and 
tongue,  and   nation,"  signifies   consequent  dominion  over  all 
things  of  the  church,  both  as  to  its  doctrine  and  as  to  its  life : 
V.  8,  "And  all  that  dwell  npon  the  eartli  shall  worship  him, 
whose  names  are  not  written  in  the  book  of  life  of  the  Lamb,'^ 
US 


Chap,  xiii.]  the  apocalypse  revealed. 

signifies  tliat  all  acknowledged  tliat  heretical  doctrine  as  holy 
in  the  church,  except  those  who  believed  in  the  Lord:  ''Slain 
from  the  foundation  of  the  world,"  signifies  the  Lord's  Divine 
Humanity  not  aclcTiowledged  from  the  first  establishment  of  the 
church:  v.  9,  "If  any  man  have  an  ear  let  him  hear,"  signifies 
that  they  should  attend  to  this  who  desire  to  attain  wisdom  : 
V.  10,  "He  that  leadeth  into  captivity  shall  go  into  captivity," 
signifies  that  he  who  by  means  of  this  heretical  doctrine  mis- 
leads others  from  believing  well  and  living  well,  will  himself  be 
drawn  into  hell  by  his  own  evils  and  falses  :  "  He  that  killeth 
M-ith  the  sword  must  be  killed  with  the  sword,"  signifies  that 
lie  who  by  means  of  falses  destroys  the  soul  of  another,  is  him- 
self destroyed  by  falses,  and  perishes :  "  Here  is  the  patience 
and  the  faith  of  the  saints,"  signifies  that  the  man  of  the  Lord's 
new  church,  by  temptations  from  such  things,  is  explored  as  to 
the  quality  of  his  life  and  faith  :  v.  11,  "And  I  beheld  another 
beast  coming  up  out  of  the  earth,"  signifies  the  clergy  who  are 
principled  in  the  doctrine  and  faith  of  the  dragon  concerning 
God  and  salvation :  "  And  he  had  two  horns  like  a  lamb,  and 
lie  spake  as  a  dragon,"  signifies  that  what  they  say,  teach,  and 
write  is  from  th«  Word,  as  though  it  were  the  Lord's  divine 
truth,  and  yet  it  is  truth  falsified  :  v.  12,  "And  he  exerciseth  all 
the  power  of  the  first  beast  before  him,"  signifies  that  they 
confirmed  these  tenets,  which  thence  derive  their  authority  : 
"  And  causeth  the  earth  and  them  that  dwell  therein  to  worship 
the  first  beast  whose  deadly  wound  was  healed,"  signifies  that 
from  their  being  received  by  the  community  at  large,  it  is 
established  and  confirmed  that  they  ought  to  be  acknowledged 
and  held  sacred  in  the  church:  v.  13,  "And  he  doetli  great 
signs,"  signifies  testifications  that  the  things  they  teach  are  true, 
although  they  are  false:  "So  that  he  maketh  fire  come  down 
from  heaven  on  the  earth  in  the  sight  of  men,"  signifies  attes- 
tations that  their  falsities  are  truths :  v.  14,  "  And  deceivetli 
them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  by  means  of  those  signs,  which 
lie  had  })Ower  to  do  in  the  sight  of  the  beast,"  signifies  that  by 
their  testifications  and  attestations  they  lead  the  men  of  the 
church  into  errors :  "  Saying  to  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth, 
that  they  should  make  an  image  to  the  beast,  which  had  the 
wound  by  a  sword  and  lived,"  signifies  that  tliey  induce  the 
men  of  the  church  to  receive  for  doctrine,  that  faith  is  the  only 
medium  of  salvation,  for  the  reasons  already  mentioned:  v.  15, 
"  And  he  had  power  to  give  breatli  unto  the  image  of  the  beast, 
that  the  image  of  the  beast  should  both  speak,"  signifies  that 
it  was  permitted  them  to  confirm  that  doctrine  by  means  of  the 
Word,  whereby  it  does  as  it  were  receive  life  when  it  is  taught: 
"  And  cause  that  as  many  as  would  not  worship  the  image  of 
the  beast  should  be  killed,"  signifies  that  they  denounce  dam- 
nation against  those  who  do  not  acknowledge  their  doctrine  of 

U9  DD 


567  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Chap.  xiii. 

taitli  to  be  tlie  holy  doctrine  of  the  church:  v.  16,  "And  he 
caused  all,  both  small  and  great,  and  rich  and  poor,  free  and 
bond,"  signifies  all  in  that  church,  whatsoever  may  be  their 
condition,  learning,  and  intelligence:  "To  receive  a  mark  in 
their  right  hand  or  in  their  foreheads,"  signifies  that  no  one  is 
acknowledged  to  be  a  reformed  Christian  unless  he  receives 
that  doctrine  in  faith  and  love  :  v.  17,  "  And  that  no  man  might 
buy  or  sell,  save  he  that  had  the  mark  or  name  of  the  beast,  or 
the  number  of  his  name,"  signifies  that  it  is  not  lawful  for  any 
one  to  teach  from  the  Word,  unless  he  acknowledges  it,  and 
swears  to  the  belief  and  love  thereof,  or  to  something  which 
amounts  to  the  same:  v.  18,  "Here  is  wisdom,"  signifies  that 
it  is  the  part  of  a  wise  man,  from  what  had  been  said  and  ex- 
plained in  this  chapter,  to  see  and  understand  the  nature  of  the 
doctrine  and  faith  of  the  clergy  respecting  God  and  salvation : 
"  Let  him  that  hath  understanding  count  the  number  of  the 
beast,"  signifies  that  lie  who  is  in  illumination  from  the  Lord, 
may  know  the  nature  and  quality  of  the  proofs  they  produce 
from  the  Word  in  confirmation  of  that  doctrine  and  faith  :  "  For 
it  is  the  number  of  a  man,"  signifies  the  quality  of  the  Word 
and  thence  of  the  church :  "  And  his  number  is  six  hundred 
and  sixty-six,"  signifies  this  quality,  that  all  the  truth  of  the 
Word  is  falsified  by  them. 


THE  EXPLANATION. 


567.  And  I  saw  a  heast  rise  up  out  of  the  sea^  signifies  the 
laity  in  the  churches  of  the  Reformed  who  are  principled  in  the 
doctrine  and  faith  of  the  dragon  concernino;  God  and  salvation. 
What  the  nature  and  quality  of  the  faith  of  the  dragon  is,  may 
be  seen,  n.  537 :  the  same  i'aith  continues  to  be  treated  of  in 
this  chapter ;  and  by  this  beast  which  was  seen  to  rise  out  of 
the  sea,  is  meant  that  faith  among  the  laity ;  but  by  the  beast 
which  rose  out  of  the  earth,  mentioned  at  verse  11,  is  meant 
that  faith  among  the  clergy.  That  the  dragon  continues  to  be 
treated  of  here  is  plain  from  the  following  passage  in  this  chap- 
ter :  that  the  dragon  gave  the  beast  which  rose  up  out  of  the 
gea  his  strength,  and  throne,  and  great  power,  verse  2 ;  and 
that  they  worshipped  the  dragon  which  gave  power  to  the  beast, 
verse  4 ;  and  of  the  beast  which  rose  out  of  the  earth,  that  he 
spake  as  the  dragon,  verse  11 ;  and  that  he  maketh  all  tho 
power  of  the  former  beast  before  the  dragon,  verse  12.  The 
reason  why  the  laity  are  understood  by  the  beast  which  rose  out 
of  the  sea,  and  the  clergy  by  the  beast  which  rose  out  of  the 
earth,  is,  because  by  the  sea  is  signified  the  external  of  the 
church,  and  by  the  earth  its  internal,  n.  398,  and  in  othei 
450 


V.  l.J  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  567 

places;  and  in  the  externals  of  church  doctrine  the  laity  are 
principled,  but  the  clergy  in  its  internals,  on  this  account  the 
beast  whicli  rose  out  of  the  earth  is  also  called,  in  what  follows, 
t!ie  false  prophet.  That  they  who  are  in  the  Reformed  Churches 
are  meant,  is  because  the  Reformed  are  treated  of  as  far  as 
chap.  xvi.  inclusive,  and  the  Roman  Catholics  in  chap.  xvii.  and 
xviii.,  and  afterwards  the  last  judgment,  and  iinally  the  New 
Church.  They  appeared  as  beasts,  because  a  dragon  is  a  beast, 
and  because  a  beast  in  the  Word  signifies  man  as  to  his  affec- 
tions; harmless  and  useful  beasts  signify  man  as  to  his  good 
affections,  and  noxious  and  useless  beasts  signify  man  as  to  his 
evil  affections  ;  on  which  account  the  men  of  the  church  in 
general  are  called  sheep,  and  a  congregation  of  them,  a  flock, 
and  their  teacher  is  called  a  pastor:  hence  also  it  is,  that  the 
Word  as  to  its  power,  affection,  understanding,  and  wisdom,  is 
described  above,  as  four  animals,  which  were  a  lion,  a  calf,  an 
eagle,  and  a  man,  chap,  iv.,  and  that  the  intellectual  knowdedge 
of  the  "Word  is  described  by  horses,  chap.  vi. ;  the  reason  is, 
because  the  affections  of  a  man,  in  the  spiritual  M^orld,  appear 
at  a  distance  as  beasts,  as  has  been  before  observed  ;  and  beasts, 
considered  in  themselves,  are  nothing  but  forms  of  natural 
affections,  whereas  men  are  not  only  forms  of  natural,  but  of 
spiritual  affections  at  the  same  time.  That  men,  as  to  their 
affections,  are  meant  by  beasts,  may  appear  from  these  places : 
"Thou,  O  God,  didst  send  a  plentiful  rain,  whereby  thou  didst 
confirm  thine  inheritance,  when  it  was  weary  ;  the  heast  of  thy 
congt'egatioji  shall  dwell  in  it,"  Psalm  Ixviii.  9,  10.  "Every 
wild  heast  of  the  forest  is  mine,  the  cattle  upon  a  thousand  hills. 
I  know  all  Xha  fowls  of  the  mountains,  and  the  wild  heast  of  the 
fields  are  mine,"  Psalm  1.  10.  "  Ashur  is  a  cedar  in  Lebanon, 
of  high  stature,  in  his  boughs  the  fotds  of  the  heavens  made 
their  nests,  and  under  his  branches  did  all  the  beasts  of  the 
field  bring  fortHi  their  young,  and  under  his  shade  dwelt  all 
great  nations,"  Ezek.  xxxi.  2 — 6,  10,  13;  Dan.  iv.  7 — 13. 
"  In  that  day  I  will  make  a  covenant  for  them  with  the  heast  of 
the  field,  and  with  i\\Q.  fowl  of  the  heavens,  and  I  will  betroth 
thee  unto  me  for  ever,"  IIos.  ii.  18,  19.  "  Rejoice  and  be 
glad,  be  not  afraid,  ye  heasts  of  my  fields,  for  the  pastures  of  the 
wilderness  do  spring,"  Joel  ii.  21 — 23.  "In  that  day  there 
shall  be  a  great  tumult,  Judah  shall  fight  against  Jerusalem, 
and  there  shall  be  a  plague  of  the  horse,  of  the  mule,  of  the 
camel,  R\\(\  of  every  heast;  then  shall  every  one  that  is  left  go 
up  to  Jerusalem,""  Zech.  xiv.  13 — 15.  ''■The  fowl  shall  sun>- 
mer  upon  them,  and  all  the  heasts  of  the  earth  shall  winter  uj)on 
them,"  Isaiah  xviii.  0.  "Thou  son  of  man,  speak  unto  the 
fowl  of  every  wing,  and  unto  every  heast  of  tJiefi^eld,  Assemble 
yourselves  to  my  sacrifice  upon  the  mountains,  of  Israel ;  so  will 
I  set  my  glory  among  the  heathen,"  Ezek.  xxxix.  17-21. 
451 


568 — 570  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  [Chap,  xili 

'*  Jeliovali  gathereth  the  outcasts  of  Israel ;  all  ye  leasts  of  the 
fields  come  to  devour,"  Isaiah  Ivi.  8,  9.  "  JehovaL  will  destroy 
the  Assyrian,  aw&Jlocks  shall  lie  down  in  the  midst  of  her;  all 
the  wild  beasts  of  the  nations,  both  the  cormorant  and  the  hit- 
tern,  shall  lodge  in  the  upper  lintels  of  it,"  Zephan.  ii.  13. 
"The  sheep  are  scattered  without  a  shepherd,  and  are  meat  for 
every  wild  heast  ofthefield^''  Ezek.  xxxiv.  5,  8.  "I  will  cast 
thee  forth  upon  the  open  held,  and  will  cause  all  the  fowls  of 
the  heavens  to  live  upon  thee,  and  I  will  fill  the  heasts  of  the 
whole  earth  with  thee,"  Ezek.  xxxii.  4 :  also  v.  IT  ;  xxix.  5 ; 
xxxiii.  27;  xxxix.  4;  Jerera.  xv.  3;  xvi.  4;  xix.  7;  xxvii.  5,  8. 
"Tlie  enemy  reproacheth  Jehovah;  O  deliver  not  to  the  heast 
the  soul  of  thy  turtle-dove,"  Psalm  Ixxiv.  18,  19.  "  I  saw  in 
vision  four  heasts  rise  ont  of  the  sea,  the  first  was  like  a  lion, 
and  had  eagle's  wings,  the  second  was  like  a  hear,  the  third  like 
a  leopard,  and  the  fourth  was  terrible,"  Dan.  vii.  3 — 5.  "  The 
spirit  driveth  Jesus  into  the  wilderness,  and  he  was  with  the 
wild  heasts,  and  the  angels  ministered  unto  him,"  Mark  i.  12, 
13  ;  he  was  not  with  beasts,  but  with  devils,  who  are  here 
meant  by  beasts ;  not  to  mention  other  passages  where  beasts 
and  wild  beasts  are  named,  as  in  Isaiah  xxxv.  9;  xliii.  20; 
Jerem.  x:i.  4,  8 — ^10  ;  Ezek.  viii.  10  ;  xxxiv.  23,  25,  28  ;  xxxviii. 
18—20  ;  Hosea  iv.  2,  3  ;  xiii.  8  ;  Joel  i.  16,  18,  20 ;  Habak.  ii. 
17;  Dan.  ii.  37,  38;  Psalm  viii.  7— 9;  Psalm  Ixxx.  13;  civ. 
10,  11,  14,  20,  25  ;  cxlviii.  7,  10;  Exod.  xxiii.  28—30;  Levit. 
xxvi.  6 ;  Deut.  vii.  22  ;  xxxii.  24 ;  in  all  these  places  by  beasts 
are  signified  men  as  to  their  affections.  By  man  and  heast 
together  is  signified  man  as  to  spiritual  and  natural  affection  ; 
as  in  the  following  passages  :  Jerem.  vii.  20 ;  xxi.  6 ;  xxvii.  5 ; 
xxxi.  27  ;  xxxii.  43  ;  xxxiii.  10 — 12  ;  xxxvi.  29  ;  1.  3  ;  Ezek.  xiv. 
13,  17,  19  ;  XXV.  13  ;  xxxii.  13  ;  xxxvi.  11  ;  Zeph.  i.  2,  3  ;  Zech. 
ii.  7,  8  ;  viii.  9,  10 ;  Jonah  iii.  7,  8 ;  Psalm  xxxvi.  6  ;  Numb, 
xviii.  15.  By  all  the  beasts  that  were  sacrificed  were  signified 
good  affections ;  and  likewise  by  the  beasts  used  for  food  ;  but 
the  contrary  by  such  as  were  not  to  be  used  for  food,  Levit.  xx. 
25,  26. 

568.  Having  seven  heads,  signifies  insanity  arising  from 
mere  falses,  in  like  manner  as  by  the  seven  heads  of  the  dragon, 
n.  538. 

569.  And  ten  hoi^ns,  signifies  much  power,  in  like  manner 
as  the  horns  of  the  dragon,  which  also  were  ten,  n.  539. 

570.  And  upon  his  horns  ten  diadems,  signifies  the  power  of 
falsifying  many  truths  of  the  Word.  By  a  horn  is  signified 
power,  n.  539  ;  by  ten  is  signified  much,  n.  101  ;  and  by  dia 
dems  are  signified  the  truths  of  the  Word  falsified,  n.  540  ; 
therefore  by  ten  diadems  upon  his  horns,  is  signified  to  have  it 
In  his  power  to  falsify  many  truths  of  the  Word.     Of  the  dragon 

t  is  said  that  he  had  seven  diadems  on  his  heads,  but  of  this 
452 


V.   l.j  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  571 

beast,  that  lie  had  ten  diadems  on  his  liorns;  the  reason  is, 
because  here  it  signifies  the  power  of  falsifying  many  truths  of 
the  AVord,  but  there  the  falsilicatiou  of  all ;  for  the  laity  are 
able,  but  do  not  do  it ;  for  they  who  are  under  the  influence  of 
falses  and  in  the  belief  of  them,  are  opposed  to  truths,  conse- 
quently, when  they  see  truths  in  the  AVord,  they  falsify  them. 

571.  And  upon  Ms  heads  the  name  ofhlasphemy^  signifies 
denial  of  the  Lord's  Divine  Humanity  and  doctrine  of  the 
church  not  drawn  from  the  Word,  but  from  self-derived  intelli 
gence.  By  seven  heads  is  signified  insanity  arising  from  mere 
falses,  as  above,  n.  5G8 ;  and  this  insanity  speaks  blasphemy, 
when  it  denies  the  Divinity  of  the  Lord  in  his  Iluniunity  ;  and 
also  when  it  does  not  deduce  the  doctrine  of  the  church  from 
the  Word,  but  unfolds  it  from  self-derived  intelligence.  As  to 
\\\Q.  jirst^  that  it  is  blasphemy  to  deny  the  Lord's  Divinity  in  his 
Humanity,  the  reason  is  this,  that  he  who  denies  it  is  opposed 
to  the  faith  received  throughout  the  whole  Cliristian  Avorld, 
named  from  Athanasius,  where  it  is  expressly  said,  that  in  Jesus 
Christ,  God  and  Man,  that  is.  Divinity  and  Humanity,  are  not 
two  but  one,  and  that  they  are  one  person,  united  like  soul  and 
body ;  therefore  they  who  deny  the  Divinity  in  his  Humanity, 
come  near  to  the  St)cinians  and  Arians,  especially  wdien  they 
think  of  the  Lord's  Humanity  alone  as  of  that  of  another  man, 
and  nothing  at  all  of  his  Divinity  from  eternity.  As  to  the 
second  point,  that  it  is  blasphemy  not  to  deduce  tlie  doctrine  of 
the  cliurch  from  the  Word,  but  to  unfold  it  from  self-derived 
intelligence,  the  reason  is,  because  the  church  exists  from  the 
Word,  and  its  quality  is  according  to  its  understanding  of  the 
Word,  as  may  be  seen  in  the  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem 
concerning  the  Sacred  Scripture^  n.  76 — 79 ;  and  the  doctrine 
that  faith  alone,  that  is,  faith  without  the  works  of  the  law,  jus- 
tifies and  saves,  is  not  from  the  Word,  but  from  a  single  expres- 
sion of  Paul  misunderstood,  Rom.  iii.  28,  see  n.  417 ;  and  all 
falsity  of  doctrine  takes  its  rise  from  no  other  source  than  from 
self-derived  intelligence;  for  what  is  more  universally  taught  in 
the  Word,  than  to  shun  evil  and  do  good  ?  and  what  is  more 
evident  than  that  God  and  our  neighbour  ought  to  be  loved  9 
And  who  can  help  seeing,  that  no  one  can  love  his  neighbour, 
unless  he  lives  according  to  the  works  of  the  law,  and  he  who 
loves  not  his  neighbour  loves  not  God?  for  in  the  love  of  our 
neighbour  the  Lord  conjoins  himself  with  man,  and  man  con- 
joins himself  with  the  Lord,  that  is,  tiie  Lord  and  man  are 
together  in  that  love.  Aiul  what  is  love  to  our  neighbour  but 
the  shunning  to  do  him  evil,  according  to  the  comnumdments 
of  the  decahjgue,  Rom.  xiii.  8 — 11  ?  And  in  pro])ortion  as  man 
is  not  willing  to  do  evil  to  his  neighbour,  in  the  same  propor- 
tion is  he  willing  to  do  him  good;  hence  it  is  evident  that  it  is 
blasphemy  to  exclude  the  works  "^f  this  law  from  salvation,  as 
453 


57^  573  'I'HE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Chap.  xlli. 

they  do,  who  make  faith  alone,  which  is  faith  separated  from 
good  Avorks,  by  itself  comj^etent  to  salvation.  By  bhisphemy 
(Matt.  xii.  31,  32  ;  Apoc.  xvii.  3 ;  Isaiah  xxxvii.  6,  7,  23,  24] 
is  meant  to  deny  the  Lord's  Divinity,  as  the  Socinians  do,  and 
to  deny  the  Word  ;  for  they  who  thus  deny  the  Lord's  Divinity 
cannot  enter  heaven,  for  the  Lord's  Divinity  is  the  all  in  all 
in  lieaven,  and  he  who  denies  the  Word  denies  all  things  of 
religion. 

572.  And  the  heast  whicfi  I  saw  was  like  unto  a  leopard^  sig- 
nifies a  heresy  destructive  of  the  church,  because  derived  from 
the  truths  of  the  Word  falsified.  By  beasts  in  general  are  sig- 
nified men  as  to  their  affections,  n.  567 ;  and  by  a  leopard  la 
signified  the  affection  or  lust  of  falsifying  the  truths  of  the 
Word ;  and  because  it  is  a  ferocious  beast,  and  kills  harmless 
animals,  it  signifies  also  a  heresy  destructive  of  the  church. 
Tliat  a  leopard  signifies  the  truths  of  the  Word  falsified,  is 
owing  to  its  black  and  white  spots,  for  by  the  black  spots  are 
signified  falses,  and  by  the  white  intermixed  with  them  is  signi- 
fied truth  ;  as  therefore  it  is  a  fierce  and  murderous  beast,  it 
signifies  the  truths  of  the  Word  falsified  and  thus  destroyed. 
Similar  is  the  signification  of  a  leopard  in  the  following  places : 
"  Can  the  Ethiopian  change  his  skin,  or  the  leopard  his  sp)ots  f 
then  may  ye  also  do  good  that  are  accustomed  to  do  evil," 
Jerem.  xiii.  23.  "The  lion  out  of  the  forest  shall  slay  them, 
and  a  wolf  of  the  evening  shall  spoil  them,  a  leopard  shall  watch 
over  their  cities,  every  one  that  goeth  out  thence  shall  be  torn 
in  pieces,  because  their  trangressions  are  many,  and  their  back- 
slidings  are  increased,"  Jerem.  v.  6 ;  the  leopard  watching 
against  their  cities,  means  watching  against  the  truths  of  doc- 
trine. A  city  means  doctrine,  n.  19i.  "  As  they  have  for- 
gotten me,  therefore  I  will  be  unto  them  as  a  lion,  as  a  leopard 
hy  the  way  will  I  observe  them,"  Ilosea  xiii.  6,  7  ;  a  way  also 
signifies  truth,  n.  176.  "The  wolf  also  shall  dwell  with  the 
lamb,  and  the  leopard  shall  lie  down  with  tlie  kid,"  Isaiah  xi. 
6 ;  here  the  Lord's  kingdom  which  is  to  come  is  treated  of;  a 
kid  signifies  the  genuine  truths  of  the  church,  and  a  leopard 
the  same  falsified.  "  The  third  beast  which  rose  out  of  the  sea 
was  like  a  leopard  which  had  upon  the  back  of  it  four  wings 
of  a  fowl,"  Dan.  vii.  6 ;  concerning  the  four  beasts  seen  by 
Daniel,  see  below,  n.  574. 

573.  And  his  feet  were  as  the  feet  of  a  hear,  signifies  full  of 
fallacies  from  reading  the  letter  of  the  Word  but  not  under- 
standing it.  By  feet  is  signified  the  natural  degree,  which  is 
the  ultimate,  upon  which  that  heresy,  meant  by  the  leopard, 
subsists,  and  as  it  were  walks,  this  being  the  literal  sense  of  the 
Word,  and  by  a  bear  are  signified  those  who  read  the  Word  and 
do  not  undei-stand  it,  whereby  they  involve  themselves  in  falla- 
cies ;  that  these  are  signified  by  bears  was  clear  to  me  from  the 

454 


r.  1     2.]  THE    AI'OCALYPSK    KKVEALED.  571 

boai's  wliieli  1  saw  in  the  spiritual  world,  and  from  sncli  there  as 
were  elad  in  boar  skins,  who  had  all  read  the  Word  indeed,  hut 
without  seein<^  any  doctrinal  truth  in  it;  also  who  had  continued 
the  appearances  of  truth  therein,  and  thus  Avere  involved  in  fal- 
lacies. In  that  world  there  appear  bears  that  are  hurtful,  ami 
bears  that  are  harndess,  and  some  that  are  white  ;  but  they  are 
distiniruished  by  their  heads,  those  which  are  harndess  have 
heads  like  calves  or  sheeji.  liears  have  such  a  si<:;infication  in 
the  followini;  places:  "He  was  unto  me  as  a  hear  \y\u(^  in  wait, 
and  as  a  lion  in  secret  places,  he  hath  turned  aside  my  ways,  he 
liatli  uiade  me  desolate,"  Lament,  iii.  10,  11.  "I  will  meet 
them  as  a  bear  that  is  bereaved  of  her  whelps,  and  there  will  I 
devour  them  like  a  lion,  the  wild  beast  of  the  field  shall  tear 
them,"  Hosea  xiii.  7,  8.  "The  calf  and  the  young  lion  shall 
lie  down  together,  and  the  cow  and  the  hear  shall  feed,"  Isaiah 
xi.  6,  7.  "The  second  beast  which  rose  out  of  tiie  sea  was 
like  to  a  hear,  and  it  had  three  ribs  in  the  mouth  of  it  between 
the  teeth  of  it,"  Dan.  vii.  5.  By  the  lion  and  the  hear,  which 
David  took  by  the  beard  and  smote,  1  Sam.  xvii.  34 — 37,  the 
same  is  signified ;  and  likewise  2  Sam.  xvii.  8.  .  The  lion  and 
hearuve  mentioned  in  those  places,  because  by  a  lion  is  siginlied 
falsity  destroying  the  truths  of  the  AVord,  and  by  a  bear  aitv 
signiiied  fallacies,  which  are  also  destructive,  but  not  in  so  great 
a  degree;  thei'efore  it  is  said  in  Amos,  "The  day  of  Jehovah  is 
darkness  and  not  light,  as  if  a  man  did  flee  from  a  lioti,  and  a 
hea7'  met  him,"  v.  18,  19.  We  read  in  the  second  book  of 
Kings,  that  Elisha  was  mocked  of  little  children,  and  that  they 
said  unto  him,  "  Go  up,  thou  bald  head  ;  and  there  came  ibrth 
two  s/ie  hears  out  of  the  wood,  and  tare  forty  and  two  children 
of  them,"  ii.  23,  24;  this  took  ])lace  because  Elisha  represented 
the  Lord  as  to  the  Word,  n.  298  ;  and  because  baldness  signi- 
fies the  Word  devoid  of  its  literal  sense,  thus  not  any  thing,  n.- 
47  ;  and  the  number  forty-two,  blasphemy,  n.  583  ;  and  beai"« . 
signify  the  literal  sense  of  the  Word,  read  indeed,  but  not 
understood. 

574.  And  his  mouth  as  the  mouth  of  a  lion,  signifies  reason- 
ings from  falses  as  from  truths.  By  mouth  is  signified  doctrine, 
preaching,  and  discourse,  n.  453,  here,  reasoning  from  falses  of 
doctrine,  because  by  the  head,  in  which  is  the  mouth,  is  signi- 
fied insanit}^  from  mere  falses,  n.  568  ;  by  a  lion  is  signified 
Divine  Truth  in  ])OM'er,  n.  241,  471,  but  here  falsity  in  power 
appearing  like  truth  by  reasonings,  n.  578  ;  hence  by  his  mouth 
being  as  the  mouth  of  a  lion,  are  signified  reasoinngs  from  falses 
as  from  truths.  That  a  lef>pard,  a  bear,  and  a  lion,  signify  such 
things,  may  aj>pear  from  the  beasts  of  the  same  kind  that  were 
seen  by  Daiuel,  of  which  it  is  thus  written  :  "  Four  great  beasts 
came  u]>  out  of  the  sea,  i\\Q  first  was  like  a  lion,  and  had  eagle's 
wings:  I  beheld  till  the  wings  thereof  were  plucked,  and  it  was 
455 


575  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Cliap.  xHl. 

lifted  up  from  tlie  earth,  and  made  to  stand  npon  the  feet,  as  a 
man,  and  a  man's  heart  was  given  to  it.  The  second  heast  was 
like  a  hear^  and  it  raised  up  itself  on  one  side;  and  it  had  tliree 
ribs  in  the  mouth  of  it,  between  the  teeth  of  it;  and  tliey  said, 
Arise,  devour  much  flesh.  The  third  beast  was  like  a  leopardy 
which  had  upon  the  back  of  it  four  wings  as  of  a  fowl,  the  beast 
had  also  four  heads,  and  dominion  was  given  to  it.  H\\q.  fourth 
heast  was  dreadful,  and  terrible,  and  exceedingly  strong,  and  it 
had  great  iron  teeth,  it  devoured  and  brake  in  pieces,  and 
stamped  the  residue  with  the  feet  of  it,"  Dan.  vii.  3 — 7 ;  by 
these  four  beasts  are  described  the  successive  states  of  the 
church,  from  its  beginning  to  its  end,  even  to  its  utter  devasta- 
tion as  to  every  good  and  truth  of  the  Word ;  after  which  is  the 
Lord's  advent.  By  the  lio7i  is  signified  the  Divine  Truth  of  the 
Woi'd  in  its  first  state,  and  the  restoration  of  tlie  church  there- 
by, which  is  understood  by  his  being  lifted  up  from  the  earth, 
and  set  erect  upon  his  feet  as  a  man,  and  a  man's  heart  being 
given  him.  By  the  lear  is  described  the  second  state  of  the 
chui'ch,  when  the  Word  is  read  indeed,  but  not  understood  :  by 
the  three  ribs  between  his  teeth  are  signified  appearances  and 
fallacies,  and  by  much  flesh  is  signified  the  sum  of  the  literal 
sense  of  the  Word.  A  third  state  of  the  church  is  described  by 
the  leopard^  by  which  is  signified  the  Word  falsified  as  to  its 
truths  ;  by  the  four  wings,  as  of  fowls,  on  his  back,  are  signified 
confirmations  of  what  is  false.  The  fourth  or  last  state  of  the 
church  is  described  by  a  Jjeast  dreadful  and  terrible,  by  which  is 
signified  the  destruction  of  all  truth  and  goodness,  for  which 
reason  it  is  said  that  he  crushed  in  pieces  and  devoured,  and 
stamped  the  residue  with  his  feet ;  lastly,  the  Lord's  advent  is 
described,  and  then  the  destruction  of  that  church,  and  the 
establishment  of  a  new  one,  from  verse  9  to  the  end.  These 
four  beasts  were  seen  by  Daniel  to  rise  out  of  the  sea  succes- 
sively, but  by  John  the  three  first  beasts  were  seen  united  in 
one  body,  and  also  coming  out  of  the  sea;  the  reason  is,  be- 
cause in  Daniel  successive  states  of  the  church  are  described  by 
them,  but  here  in  the  Apocalypse  its  ultimate  state  is  described, 
in  which  all  the  former  states  exist  together;  but  as  the  body 
of  this  beast  appeared  like  a  leopard,  and  its  feet  like  a  bear, 
and  its  mouth  like  a  lion ;  the  leopard  and  the  bear  have  every- 
where a  like  signification ;  but  by  a  mouth  like  a  lion  are  sig- 
nified reasonings  derived  from  falses,  because  it  follows  that 
•'The  beast  out  of  his  mouth  spake  blasphemies,"  verse  5,  6,  and 
by  his  head  is  signified  insanity  from  mere  falses. 

575.  And  the  dragon,  gave  him  his  strength,  and  his  throne, 
and  great  poioer,  signifies  that  this  heresy  prevails  and  reigns 
in  consequence  of  its  reception  by  the  laity.  By  the  dragon  is 
signified  that  heretical  doctrine,  concerning  which  see  n.  537 ; 
by  this  beast  the  laity  are  signified,  n.  563,  who  do  not  speak 
45G 


V.  2,  3.J  THE    APOCALYPSE    KLVEALED.  676—578 

troin  tlieniselves,  but  from  their  teacliers,  and  as  they  consti- 
tute the  }H?ople,  it  is  evident  that  by  reception  from  them  that 
heresy  i)revails  and  reigns.  This  therefore  is  what  is  signified 
])y  the  strength,  throne,  and  great  power  wliich  tlie  dragon  gave 
to  this  beast,  and  by  what  follows  in  verse  4,  "  And  tliey  wor- 
shipped the  dragon,  which  gave  })ower  unto  the  beast."  The 
dragon  prevails  and  reigns  by  them,  especially  by  means  of  this 
tenet  of  their  religion,  ''That  the  understanding  is  to  be  ke}>t 
in  subjection  to  faith  ;  and  that  is  the  faith  which  is  not  under- 
stood, and  that  in  matters  of  a  spiritual  nature,  faith  in  a  thing 
wliich  is  understood  is  intellectual  faith,  destitute  of  any  justi- 
fying virtue ;"  when  these  notions  prevail  anu)ng  the  laity,  the 
clergy  have  power,  veneration,  and  a  sort  of  adoration  on  ac- 
count of  the  divine  things  which  they  are  supposed  to  know,  and 
which  are  to  be  imbibed  from  their  mouths.  By  strength  is 
signitied  authority ;  by  throne,  government ;  and  by  great 
power,  dominion. 

576.  A?i(l  I  saw  one  of  his  heads  as  it  were  wounded  to  deaths 
signifies  that  the  doctrine  which,  is  the  head  of  all  the  rest,  that 
man  is  justified  and  saved  by  faith  alone  without  the  works  of 
the  law,  does  not  accord  with  the  AVord,  in  wliich  works  are  so 
often  enjoined.  By  one  of  his  heads  is  signified  the  principal 
and  fundamental  article  of  the  whole  doctrine  of  the  I'eformcd 
church ;  for  the  beast  had  seven  heads,  by  which  is  signified 
insanity  from  mere  falses,  n.  568,  thus  also  all  falses  in  the 
complex;  for  by  seven  in  the  AVord  are  signified  all,  n.  10,  391 ; 
and  as  all  the  falses  of  their  doctrine  respecting  salvation  depend 
upon  this  one,  that  man  is  justified  and  saved  by  faith  alone 
without  the  works  of  the  law,  this  is  what  is  here  signified  by 
one  of  the  heads  of  the  beast ;  by  its  being  as  it  were  wounded 
to  death,  is  signified  that  it  does  not  accord  with  the  AVord, 
where  works  are  so  frequently  enjoined  ;  for  all  church  doc- 
trine, which  does  not  accord  with  the  AVord,  is  not  sound,  but 
labours  under  a  deadly  disease  ;  for  from  the  AVord,  and  from 
no  other  source,  the  doctrine  of  the  church  is  to  be  derived. 

577.  And  his  deadly  wound  was  healed,  signifies  the  remedy 
applied  to  this  chief  article  of  docti'ine  by  their  reasoning  as 
follows :  that  no  one  can  do  good  works  from  himself,  and  fnllil 
the  law;  and  that  on  this  account  another  niedium  of  salvation 
is  provided  instead,  which  is  faith  in  the  righteousness  and 
merit  of  Christ,  who  suffered  for  man,  and  thereby  removed  th(i 
sentence  of  the  law.  That  this  is  their  remedy  for  the  wounded 
head,  and  is  also  applied,  when  by  the  wounded  head  is  under- 
stood what  goes  before,  n.  576,  is  well  known,  and  therefore 
needs  no  furtiier  explanation. 

578.  And  all  the  world  wondered  after  the  least,  signifies 
that  then  this  faitii  was  gladly  rec(;ive(l,  and  became  the  doc- 
trine of  the  whole  church,  because  they  thus  were  not  bondmeu 

457 


579  THE    APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Chap.  xlii. 

under  the  law,  but  freemen  under  faith.  And  all  the  world 
wondered,  signifies  admiration  that  his  deadly  wound  was 
healed,  and  thence  reception  gladly;  by  all  the  world  is  signi- 
fied the  whole  church  of  the  reformed,  for  the  world  or  earth 
means  the  church,  n.  285 ;  therefore  by  all  the  world  wondered 
after  the  beast  is  signified  that  this  faith  was  gladly  received, 
and  became  the  doctrine  of  the  whole  church.  It  is  gladly  re- 
ceived, because  they  thus  are  not  bondmen  under  the  law,  but 
freemen  under  faith  ;  not  knowing  that  the  very  reverse  is  true, 
viz.,  that  they  who  think  themselves  free  under  faith,  or  from 
that  faith,  or  through  that  faitli,  are  slaves  to  sin,  that  is  to  the 
devil,  for  sin  and  the  devil  are  one  and  the  same;  for  thus  they 
think  that  the  law  does  not  condemn,  and  therefore  that  to  sin 
without  being  obnoxious  to  the  sentence  of  the  law  constitutes 
freedom,  provided  they  have  faith  ;  when  nevertheless  this  is 
slavery  itself;  but  man  when  he  shuns  sin,  that  is  the  devil, 
from  being  a  slave  becomes  free.  Here  I  will  add  this  Memo- 
KABLE  CmcuMSTAKCE :  I  Conversed  in  the  spiritual  M'orld  with 
certain  doctors  of  the  church,  about  what  they  meant  by  works 
of  the  law,  and  what  by  the  law,  under  whose  yoke,  servitude, 
and  sentence,  they  declared  themselves  not  to  be.  They  said 
they  meant  the  works  of  the  law  of  the  decalogue  ;  upon  which 
I  asked,  "  What  are  the  things  forbidden  in  the  decalogue?  are 
they  not  these :  Thou  shalt  not  kill ;  thou  shalt  not  commit 
adulter}' ;  thou  shalt  not  steal ;  thou  shalt  not  bear  false  wit- 
ness? Are  these  the  works  of  the  law,  which  you  separate 
from  fiiith,  saying,  that  faitli  alone,  without  the  works  of  the 
law,  justifies  and  saves,  and  are  these  what  Christ  made  satisfac- 
tion for  ?"  And  they  replied,  "  They  are."  Upon  this  there 
was  heard  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying,  "  Who  can  be  so  sense- 
less?" and  instantly  their  faces  were  turned  towards  some  dia- 
bolical spirits,  among  whom  was  Machiavel,  and  several  of  the 
order  of  Jesuits,  who  acknowledged  all  these  things  to  be  allow- 
able, provided  the}^  do  not  expose  themselves  to  the  penalties  of 
worldly  laws  ;  and  they  would  have  associated  themselves  with 
these,  had  not  a  society  interposed  to  prevent  them.  It  is  said 
that  all  the  world  wondered  after  the  beast ;  that  after  the  beast 
means  to  follow  and  obey  it,  appears  from  these  places :  David 
hath  "  kept  my  commandments,  and  hath  loalhed  after  me  yv\t\\ 
all  his  heart,"  1  Kings  xiv.  8.  "  The  sons  of  Jesse  went  after 
Saul  to  the  war,"  1  Sam.  xvii.  13.  "  Thou  shalt  not  go  aftei- 
a  miiltitude  to  do  evil ;  neither  shalt  thou  speak  in  a  cause  to 
decline  after  many^  to  wrest  judgment,"  Exod.  xxiii.  2.  "  And 
walk  not  after  other  gods,  whom  ye  know  not,"  Jerem.  vii.  9. 
"And  they  went  after  other  gods  to  serve  them,"  Jerem,  xi. 
10  ;  Dent.  viii.  19.  "  For  all  the  men  that  go  after  Baalpeor^ 
Jehovah  thy  God  hath  destroyed,"  Dent.  iv.  3. 

579.  And  they  worshi^jped  the  dragon^  which  gavepoioer  unto 


r.  3 — 5.J  THE    APOCALYPSE   EEVEALED.  680 — 582 

the  heast,  signifies  an  acknowledgment  of  the  doctrine  of  jus- 
tification by  faith,  without  the  works  of  the  hiw,  by  leaders  and 
teachers,  who  have  established  its  authority  on  the  reception 
they  have  procured  for  it  among  the  community  at  large;  by 
worshipping  is  signified  to  acknowledge  it  as  holy  in  the  church; 
by  the  dragon  is  signified  the  doctrine  of  justification  and  sal- 
vation by  faitli  alone,  without  the  works  of  the  law,  n.  537 ;  by 
this  beast  is  signified  the  community,  because  it  denotes  the 
laity,  n.  567 ;  by  giving  power  is  signified  to  establish  its 
authority  by  its  reception  among  the  laity,  ii.  575. 

580.  A?id  the])  worshipped  the  heast,  signifies  an  acknow- 
ledgment on  the  part  of  the  community  that  it  is  holy  truth, 
that  no  one  can  do  good  works  from  himself,  nor  fulfil  the  law. 
To  worship  signifies  to  acknowledge  it  as  holy  in  the  church,  aa 
above,  n.  579,  here,  to  acknowledge  it  as  a  lioly  truth,  that  no 
one  can  do  good  works  of  himself,  and  fuliil  the  law ;  and  these 
two  being  regarded  as  holy  truths,  it  follows,  that  the  works  of 
the  law  are  to  be  removed  from  faith,  as  not  conducive  to  sal- 
vation ;  but  that  these  truths,  and  many  others,  are  falsified, 
may  be  seen  above,  n.  566 :  by  the  beast  is  here  signified  the 
same  as  by  the  dragon,  on  account  of  the  reception  and  acknow- 
ledgment of  the  doctrine ;  therefore  it  is  said  that  they  wor- 
shipped the  dragon,  and  worshi])ped  the  beast. 

581.  Saying,  Who  is  like  unto  the  least?  who  is  able  to  fight 
with  Idmf  signifies  the  excellence  of  that  doctrine  above  all 
others,  because  it  cannot  be  contradicted  by  any  one.  Who  is 
like  unto  the  beast,  signifies  an  opinion  of  the  excellence  of 
that  church  above  all  others  on  account  of  its  doctrine  ;  by  the 
beast  is  signified  the  community,  thus  the  church,  and  ab- 
stractedly its  doctrine;  who  is  able  to  fight  with  him,  signifies, 
who  can  deny  that  man  is  not  able  to  do  any  s})! ritual  good 
from  himself,  &c.,  as  above,  n.  566,  and  as  this  cannot  be  con- 
tradicted, are  we  not  therefore  saved  by  faith  without  the  works 
of  the  law  ?  But  that  this  conclusion  is  absurd,  yea,  insanity 
itself,  may  be  seen  by  every  one  who  knows  and  understands 
any  thing  of  the  Word.  Who  is  able  to  fight  with  him,  also 
signifies  that  this  doctrine  has  been  so  ingeniously  and  subtilly 
confirmed,  and  so  fortified  and  guarded  l)y  its  first  leaders,  lyid 
Bucli  as  have  since  taught  after  them,  tluit  it  cannot  be  im- 
pugned. 

582.  And  there  was  given  unto  him  a  mouth  s/yeaking  great 
things  and  blasphemies,  signifies  that  it  teaches  what  is  evil  and 
false.  By  a  mouth  speaking  is  signified  doctrine,  i)reaching, 
and  discourse,  n.  453  ;  by  speaking  great  things  aTid  blasphe- 
mies, is  signified  to  teach  what  is  evil  and  false  ;  for  great  is 
predicated  of  good,  and  in  an  opposite  sense  of  evil,  n.  656, 
663,  896,  898,  and  by  blasphemies  are  signitied  truths  of  the 
Word  falsified,  thus,  falses ;  what  is  here  signified   by  blaa- 

459 


5S3,  584  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  [Chap,  xiii, 

phemic'S  iu  particular,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  571 :  the  reason 
why  it  teaches  what  is  evil,  is,  because  it  removes  the  works  of 
the'law,  thus,  the  things  which  ought  to  be  done,  from  salva- 
tion, and  he  who  does  this,  is  in  spiritual  evils,  which  are  sins. 

583.  And  power  was  given  unto  him  to  continue  foHy-two 
months,  signifies  the  liberty  of  teaching  and  doing  the  evils 
and  falses  uf  that  doctrine,  even  to  the  end  of  that  church,  and 
the  beginning  of  the  new.  By  power  being  given  him,  is  signi- 
fied the  power  of  speaking  great  things  and  blasphemies,  that 
is.  of  teaching  and  doincj  the  evils  aiid  falses  mentioned  above, 
n.  582  ;  forty-two  months  signify  even  to  the  end  ot  the  tormer 
church  and  beginning  of  the  new,  as  above,  n.  496  ;  the  same  as 
is  signified  by  three  days  and  a  half,  n.  505  ;  and  by  a  time  and 
times  and  half  a  time,  n.  562  ;  and  also  by  a  thousand  two  hun- 
dred and  sixty,  n.  491,  forty-two  months  making  three  years 
and  a  half. 

584.  And  he  opened  his  mouth  in  blasphemy  against  God,  to 
hlaspheme  his  name,  signifies  their  sayings,  which  are  scandals, 
against  the  Essential  Divinity  and  Divine  Humanity  of  the 
Lord,  and  at  the  same  time  against  every  tiling  relating  to  the 
church  derived  from  the  Word,  whereby  the  Lord  is  worshipped. 
He  opened  his  mouth  in  blasphemy,  signifies  the  things  ut- 
tered, which  are  false  ;  by  a  mouth  is  signified  doctrine,  preach- 
ing, and  discourse,  n.  453,  thus,  by  opening  the  mouth,  is  sig- 
nified to  utter  them ;  and  blasphemies  signify  falsifications  of 
the  "Word,  and  other  things,  as  above,  n.  571,  5S2,  and  in  the 
present  case,  scandals,  because  it  next  follows,  against  God  and 
his  name ;  by  God  is  signified  the  Lord's  Divinity,  as  also  iu 
many  other  parts  of  the  Apocalypse ;  and  by  his  name  is  signi- 
fied every  thing  by  which  the  Lord  is  worshij^ped,  likewise  the 
TVord,  because  worship  is  according  to  it,  n.  81.  That  by  the 
name  of  Jehovah,  or  of  God,  is  signified  the  Lord's  Divine 
Humanity,  and  at  the  same  time  the  AVord,  likewise  c  v\  thing 
by  which  he  is  worshipped,  may  further  appear  from  tlie  follow- 
ing passages  :  Jesus  said,  '*  Father,  glorify  thy  name  j  then  came 
a  voice  from  heaven,  saying,  I  have  both  glorified  it,  and  will 
glorify  it  again,"  John  xii.  28.  Jesus  said,  '•  I  have  declared 
unto  them  thy  name,  and  I  will  declare  it,"  John  xvii.  26. 
"  Whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  in  my  name,  that  will  I  do,  that  the 
Father  may  be  glorified  in  the  Son  ;  if  ye  shall  ask  an}'  thing  in 
my  name,  I  will  do  it."  John  xiv.  13,  14.  '•  Li  the  beginning 
was  the  AVord,  and  the  Word  was  with  God,  and  the  Word 
was  God.  But  as  many  as  received  him,  to  them  gave  he  powei 
to  become  the  sons  of  God,  even  to  them  that  believe  on  his 
name  ;  and  the  Word  was  made  flesh,''  John  i.  1, 12, 14.  Jesus 
said,  '•  He  that  believeth  not  in  him  is  condemned  already,  be- 
cause he  hath  not  believed  in  the  name  of  the  only-hegotten  Son 
of  God,"'  John  iii.  18.     By  the  na^7^e  of  Jehovah  God,  which 

460 


V.  5,  6.]  THE    APOCAI.YPSK    RKVKALKn.  5S5 

IS  not  to  be  profaned,  in  tlie  second  coniniandinent  of  the  deca- 
logue ;  and  by  the  name  of  the  Father^  which  is  to  be  hallowed, 
in  the  Lord's  prayer,  nothing  else  is  understood. 

585.  And  his  taheimach\  and  them  that  dwell  in  heaven,  sig- 
nifies scandals  against  the  Lord's  celestial  kingdom  and  against 
lieaven.  By  a  tabernacle  nearly  the  same  is  signified  as  by  a 
temple,  viz.,  in  a  supreme  sense,  the  Lord's  Divine  Hunumity, 
and,  in  a  relative  sense,  heaven  and  the  church,  n.  191,  529. 
]^ut  by  a  tabernacle,  in  this  latter  sense,  is  signified  the  celes- 
tial church,  which  is  in  the  good  of  love  from  the  Lord  to  tho 
Lord ;  and  by  a  temple,  the  spiritual  church,  which  is  in  the 
truths  of  wisdom  from  the  Lord  ;  by  them  that  dwell  in  heaven 
is  signified  heaven.  The  tabernacle  signifies  the  celestial  king- 
dom, because  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  which  was  celestial, 
through  being  principled  in  love  to  the  Lord,  pertormed  divine 
worship  in  tabernacles ;  and  the  Ancient  Church,  which  was  a 
spiritual  church,  performed  divine  worship  in  temples.  Taber- 
nacles were  of  wood,  and  temples  of  stone,  and  wood  signifies 
tjood,  and  stone  truth.  That  by  a  tabernacle  is  signified  the 
Lord's  Divine  Humanity  as  to  Divine  Love,  likewise  heaven 
and  the  church,  which  are  in  love  to  the  Lord,  may  appear 
from  the  following  passages  :  "Jehovah,  who  shall  abide  in  thy 
tabernacle ;  who  shall  dwell  in  thy  holy  hill?  he  that  walketh 
uprightly,  and  worketh  righteousness,  and  speaketh  the  truth 
in  his  heart,"  Psalm  xv.  1,  2.  "Jehovah  shall  hide  me  in  his 
tent,  in  the  secret  of  his  tabernacle  shall  he  hide  me,  he  shall 
set  me  upon  a  rock,"  Psalm  xxvii.  4,  5.  "I  will  abide  in  thy 
tabernacle  for  ever,"  Psalm  Ixi.  4.  "Look  upon  Zion,  the 
city  of  our  solemnities,  thine  eye  shall  see  Jerusalem,  a  quiet 
habitation,  a  tabernacle  that  shall  not  be  taken  down"  Isaiah 
xxxiii.  20.  "Jehovah  tiiat  spreadeth  out  the  heavens  as  a 
tabernacle  to  dwell  in,"  Isaiah  xl.  22.  "  Because  thou  hast 
made  even  the  Most  High  thy  habitation,  neither  shall  any 
plague  come  nigh  thy  tabernacle^''  Psalm  xci.  9,  10.  "  Jeho- 
vah hath  set  his  tabernacle  amongst  you,  and  M-ill  walk  among 
you,"  Levit.  xxvi.  11,  12.  "Jehovah  forsook  the  tabernacle  of 
Shiloh,  the  tent  which  he  placed  among  men,"  Psalm  Ixxviii. 
60.  "  I  heard  a  great  voice  out  of  heaven,  saying,  Behold,  the 
tahernacle  of  God  is  wnth  men,  and  he  will  dwell  with  them," 
Apoc.  xxi.  3.  "My  tabernacles  are  spoiled,"  Jerem,  iv.  20; 
X.  20.  "  He  shall  pluck  thee  out  of  the  tahernacle,  and  root 
thee  out  of  the  land  of  the  living,"  Psalm  lii.  5 ;  besides  other 
places,  as  Isaiah  xvi.  5;  liv.  2;  Jerem.  xxx.  18;  Lament,  ii.  4; 
llosea  ix.  6 ;  xii.  9 ;  Zech.  xii.  7.  Since  the  Most  Ancient 
Church,  which  was  a  celestial  church,  by  reason  of  its  love  to  the 
Lord,  and  consequent  conjunction  with  him,  celebrated  divine 
■vroi-ship  in  taheimacles,  therefore  the  Lord  commanded  Moses  to 
ouild  a  tabernacle,  in  which  all  things  of  heaven  and  the  chui-ch 
461 


586  THE  APOCALYPSE  EEYEALED.       [Chap.  xiii. 

were  represented  ;  which  was  so  holy,  that  it  was  not  lawful  for 
any  one  to  go  into  it,  except  Moses,  Aaron,  and  his  sons ;  and 
if  any  one  of  the  people  entered  he  would  die.  Numb,  xvii, 
12,  13 ;  xviii.  1,  22,  23 ;  xix.  14 — 19  ;  in  the  inmost  part  of  it 
was  the  ark,  in  which  were  the  two  tables  of  the  decalogue, 
over  which  was  the  mercy-seat  and  the  cherubims;  a.id  without 
the  vail  was  the  table  for  the  show-bread,  the  altar  of  incense, 
and  the  candlestick  with  seven  lamps ;  all  which  were  repre- 
sentatives of  heaven  and  the  church ;  it  is  described,  Exod. 
xxvi.  7 — 16 ;  xxxvi.  8 — 37;  and  we  read  that  the  pattern  thereof 
was  shown  to  Moses  on  Mount  Sinai,  Exod.  xxv.  9 ;  xxvi.  30 ; 
and  whatsoever  is  given  to  be  seen  from  heaven,  the  same  is 
representative  of  heaven,  and  thence  of  the  church.  In  memory 
of  the  most  holy  worship  of  the  Lord  in  tabernacles  b}^  the  most 
ancient  people,  and  of  their  conjunction  with  him  by  love,  the 
feast  of  tabernacles  was  instituted,  as  mentioned  in  Levit.  xxiii. 
39—44 ;  Deut.  xvi.  13,  14 ;  Zech.  xiv.  16,  18,  19. 

586.  And  it  was  given  unto  him  to  mahe  loar  with  the  saints, 
and  to  overcome  them,  signifies  that  they  have  impugned  the 
divine  truths  of  the  Word,  and  cast  them  down  to  the  ground. 
By  war  is  signified  spiritual  war,  which  is  that  of  falsity  against 
truth,  and  of  truth  against  falsity,  n.  500,  hence  to  make  war 
is  to  impugn;  by  saints  are  meant  they  who  are  in  divine  truths 
from  the  Lord  through  the  Word,  and  thence,  abstracted!}' 
from  persons,  divine  truths,  n.  173 ;  therefore  by  overcoming 
them  is  signified  to  cause  that  truths  should  not  prevail,  thus 
to  overthrow  them.  The  like  is  signified  by  these  words  in 
Daniel :  "  The  fourth  beast  that  came  up  out  of  the  sea,  which 
liad  a  mouth  speaking  great  things,  made  war  with  the  saints 
and  'prevaiUd^''  vii.  21 ;  and  also  by  these :  "  The  he-goat  ran 
at  the  ram,  and  cast  him  to  the  ground,  and  stamped  upon  him  ; 
and  magnified  himself  even  to  the  prince  of  the  host,  and  the 
place  of  his  sanctuary  was  cast  down ;  and  he  cast  down  the 
truth  to  the  ground^''  viii.  5 — 7,  11,  12 ;  that  by  the  he-goat  is 
meant  faith  separated  from  charity,  may  be  seen  in  The  Doc- 
trine of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  Faith,  n.  61 — 68.  In 
like  manner  by  these  words :  A  king  shall  arise  "  of  a  fierce 
countenance,  and  understanding  dark  sentences ;  he  shall  de- 
stroy the  mighty,  and  the  holy  people,  and  he  shall  stand  up 
against  the  Prince  of  princes  ;  and  he  shall  cause  craft  to  pros- 
per in  his  hand,"  Dan.  viii.  23 — 25 ;  that  this  king  is  the  he- 
goat,  is  said  verse  21  of  the  same  chapter.  The  like  is  also 
signified  by  the  beast  that  ascended  out  of  the  bottomless  pit, 
and  made  war  with  the  two  witnesses,  and  overcame  and  hilled 
them,  Apoc.  xi.  7,  n.  500;  the  reason  why  they  overcame,  is, 
because  the  laity  do  not  discern  their  artifices,  which  they  call 
mysteries,  for  tliey  conceal  them  under  appearances  and  falla- 
cies; therefore  they  said,  "  Who  is  like  unto  the  beast?  who  is 
462 


V.   6,  7.]  THE  APOCALYPSE  RKVEALED.  587 

able  to  figlit  M-ith  liiin  ?"  verse  4,  n.  579,  5S0,  oSl.  That  ])y 
Baiiits  are  meant  those  who  are  in  trnths  from  tlie  Lord  tlu"on<j^h 
the  Word,  may  a]»peiir  from  the  phices  achhieed  ab(n-e,  n.  173, 
and  also  from  the  following :  Jesns  said,  "  Father,  sanctify  them 
through  thij  t/'utk,  thy  ^Vord  is  truth.  And  for  tlieir  sakes  1 
sanctify  inyself^  that  they  also  might  he  sanctified  through  tha 
truth  I  I  in  them,  and  thou  in  me^''  John  xvli.  17, 19,  23.  "  Je- 
hovah came  from  Sinai,  he  sliincd  fM'tli  from  Mount  Paran, 
and  he  came  with  ten  thousands  of  saints,  from  his  rii:;ht  haml 
went  a  fiery  law  for  tlicm,  all  his  saints  are  in  thy  hand  ;  evei-v 
one  shall  receive  of  thy  words,''''  Dent,  xxxiii.  2,  3;  from  whieli 
it  is  plain,  tliat  they  are  called  saints  who  are  in  divine  trntlis 
from  the  Lord  through  the  Word :  also,  that  they  who  live  ac- 
ording  to  the  coinmandnients,  that  is,  according  to  the  truths 
of  the  Word,  were  the  saints  of  Jehovah,  Levit.  xix.  2 ;  Deut. 
xxvi.  18,  19 ;  and  that  if  they  did  the  covenant,  they  were  a 
holy  nation,  or  nation  of  saints,  Exod.  xix.  5,  6  :  the  decalogue 
or  ten  commandments  is  the  coveiumt  which  they  were  to  do  or 
keep,  n.  60  ;  thus  the  place  in  the  tabernacle,  where  the  ark 
was,  in  which  the  decalogue  was  deposited,  was  called  the  holy 
of  holies,  Exod.  xxvi.  33,  34.  They  are  called  saints  who  live 
according  to  the  truths  of  the  AV^ord  ;  not  that  they  are  holy, 
but  the  truths  in  them  are  holy,  and  they  are  holy  when  they 
are  in  them  from  the  Lord  ;  and  the  Lord  is  in  them  when  the 
truths  of  his  Word  are  in  them,  John  xv.  7.  By  virtue  of 
truths  from  the  Lord  the  angels  are  called  holy.  Matt.  xxv.  31  ; 
Luke  ix.  26  ;  and  in  like  manner  the  j9ro^;Ae^5,  Luke  i.  70 ; 
Apoc.  xviii.  20  ;  xxii.  6 ;  and  the  apostles,  Apoc.  xviii.  20.  It 
is  fortius  reason  that  the  temple  is  called  the  temple  of  holiness, 
Psalm  V.  7  ;  Ixv.  4;  and  Sion,  the  mountai7i  of  holiness,  Isaiah 
Ixv.  11 ;  Jerem.  xxxi.  23  ;  Ezck.  xx.  40  ;  Psalm  ii.  6  ;  iii.  4  ; 
XV.  1  •  and  Jerusalem  the  holy  city,  Isaiah  xlviii.  2;  Ixiv.  10; 
Apoc.  xxi.  2,  10  ;  Matt,  xxvii.  53.  And  the  church,  the  holy 
people,  Isaiah  Ixii.  12;  Ixiii.  18;  Psahu  cxlix.  2;  and  also  the 
kingdom  of  saints,  Dan.  vii.  18,  22,  27.  The  reason  Avhy  they 
were  called  holy,  is,  because  angels,  in  an  abstract  sense,  sig- 
nify divine  trutiis  from  the  Lord;  prophets,  truths  of  doctrine  ; 
apostles,  trutlis  of  the  church  ;  tlie  tem])le,  heaven  and  the 
church  as  to  divine  truth  ;  and,  in  like  numner,  Sion,  Jerusa- 
lem, the  ])eople  and  kingdom  of  God  :  that  no  one  is  holy 
from  himself,  not  even  the  angels,  may  be  seen  in  Job  xv.  14, 
15,  but  t'rom  the  Lord,  because  the  Lord  alone  is  holy,  Apoc. 
XV.  4,  n.  173. 

587.  And  power  was  given  him  over  every  trihe,  and  tongue, 
and  7iation,  signifies  consequent  dominion  over  all  things  of  the 
church,  both  as  to  its  doctrine  and  as  to  its  life.  By  power  is 
signified  dominion  as  above,  n.  575  ;  by  tribe  is  signilied  the 
church  as  to  its  truths  and  goods,  and,  in  an  opposite  sense,  as 
463 


588,  589  THE    APOCALYPSE    REVEALED.  [Cliap.  xlil. 

to  its  falses  and  evils,  n.  20,  34-9  ;  by  tongue  is  signified  its  doc- 
trine, n.  282,  483,  and  by  nation  is  signified  a  life  according  to 
sucli  doctrine,  n.  483. 

588.  A7id  all  that  dwell  upon  the  earth  shall  loorshij)  hini^ 
xohose  names  are  not  written  in  the  hook  of  life  of  the  Lamh^  sig- 
nifies that  all  acknowledged  that  heretical  doctrine,  which  is 
meant  by  the  dragon  and  the  beast,  as  holy  in  the  church,  ex- 
cept those  who  believed  in  the  Lord.  To  woiship  signifies  t<^ 
acknowledge  as  a  sacred  principle  of  the  church,  as  above,  n. 
579,  580 ;  by  all  that  dwell  upon  the  earth,  are  signified  all  ot 
the  Reformed  Church,  as  in  n.  558  ;  by  names  not  written  in 
the  Lamb's  book  of  life,  is  signified,  except  those  who  believe 
in  the  Lord ;  by  names,  they  are  signified  as  to  their  quality, 
n.  81,  122,  165  ;  by  the  book  of  life  is  signified  the  Word  of 
the  Lord,  and  all  doctrine  respecting  him,  n.  256,  257,  259, 
469  ;  and  as  all  church  doctrine  from  the  Word  refers  to  tliis 
point,  that  the  Lord  is  to  be  believed  in,  therefore  this  is  here 
imderstood  by  name  written  in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life.  Con- 
cerning faith  in  the  Lord,  see  above,  n.  67  and  533. 

589.  Sialyl  from  the  foundation  of  the  worlds  signifies  the 
Lord's  Divine  Humanity  not  acknowledged  from  the  first  estab- 
lishment of  the  church.  By  the  Lamb  slain  is  signified  that 
the  Lord's  Divine  Humanity  is  not  acknowledged,  may  be  seen 
above,  n.  59,  269,  where  these  words  are  explained  :  "  I  am  the 
First  and  the  Last,  and  am  he  that  liveth,  and  was  dead^  and 
behold  I  am  alive  for  evermore,  i.  17,  18  ;  and  the  following: 
"  And  I  beheld,  and  lo,  in  the  midst  of  the  throne,  a  lamb 
standing  as  it  were  slain  y  and  they  sung  a  new  song,  saying, 
Thou  art  worthy  to  take  the  book,  for  thou  wast  slain,  and  hast 
redeemed  us  to  God,"  v.  6,  9  ;  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world,  signifies  from  the  establishment  of  the  church,  both 
Jewish  and  Christian ;  that  the  Jews  did  not  acknowledge  the 
ijord's  Divine  Humanity,  is  well  known  ;  that  the  Koman 
Catholics  do  not,  is  also  well  known ;  and  that  the  Reformed 
do  not,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  294.  •  By  the  foundation  of  the 
world  is  not  here  meant  the  creation  of  the  world,  but  the 
establishment  of  the  church  ;  for  by  the  world,  in  the  most  ex- 
tensive sense,  is  meant  the  whole  world,  and  the  good  as  well 
as  the  wicked  that  are  therein,  and  sometimes  the  wicked  only  ; 
but  in  a  less  extensive  sense,  by  the  world  is  meant  the  same  as 
by  the  globe  and  the  earth,  thus  the  church  ;  that  by  the  globe 
is  signified  the  church,  may  be  seen,  n.  551,  and  the  same  by 
the  earth,  n.  285  ;  that  by  laying  the  foundation  of  the  globe 
and  the  earth  is  signified  to  establish  the  church,  and  that  by 
the  founding  and  foundation  thereof,  its  establishment  is  signi- 
fied, may  appear  from  Isaiah  xxiv.  18  ;  xl.  21  ;  xlviii.  12,  13  ; 
li.  16,  17  ;  Iviii.  12  ;  Jerem.  xxxi.  37  ;  Mic.  vi.  1,  2  ;  Zech.  xii. 
1 ;  Psalm  xviii.  7,  15  ;  xxiv.  1,  2;  Ixxxii.  5;  Ixxxix.  11.  That 
464 


T.  7 10.]        THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  590,  591 

the  world  also  sifj^iiifies  the  church,  may  be  seen  in  ^[att.  xiii. 
37 — 39;  Joel  i.  9,  10;  and  that  the  Lord  from  faith  in  him  is 
called  the  Saviour  of  the  world,  John  iii.  IG — 19;  iv.  42;  vi. 
33,  51  ;  viii.  12  ;  ix.  4,  5 ;  xii.  46,  47.  That  the  worhl  also 
means  tlie  people  of  the  church,  John  xii.  19  ;  xviii.  20.  From 
lience  it  may  be  seen  wiiat  is  signitied  by  the  foundation  of  the 
>»^orld  ;  abo  in  Mutt-  >av.  ">4;  Luke  xi.  50;  John  xvii.  24; 
Apoc.  xvn.  11. 

590.  If  any  man  have  an  eai\  let  Jmn  heai\  si<j^Tiifies  that 
they  should  attend  to  this,  who  desire  to  attain  wisdom.  That 
by  having  an  ear  to  hear  is  signified  to  perceive  and  obey,  and 
also  to  attend,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  87 ;  that  it  also  means 
those  who  desire  to  attain  wisdom,  follows  of  course.  Here  it 
is  said,  "  If  any  man  have  an  ear  let  him  hear,"  in  order  that 
they  may  attend  to  what  goes  before,  and  that  otherwise  they 
are  not  wise. 

591.  He  that  leadeth  into  cajptivity  shall  go  into  captivity^ 
signifies  that  he  who  by  means  of  this  heretical  doctrine  mis- 
leads others  from  believing -well  and  living  well,  will  himself  be 
drawn  into  hell  by  his  own  evils  and  falses.  By  leading  into 
captivity  is  signified  to  persuade  and  draw  over  to  his  own 

f)arty,  that  they  may  consent  to  and  become  adherents  to  that 
leresy,  which  is  understood  by  the  dragon  and  the  beast,  and 
so  to  draw  aside  from  believing  well  and  from  living  well.  By 
going  into  captivity  is  signified  to  be  drawn  into  hell  by  his 
own  lalses  and  evils.  By  captivity  is  here  meant  spiritual  cap- 
tivity, which  consists  in  being  seduced,  and  so  drawn  away  from 
truths  and  goods,  into  falses  and  evils.  That  by  captivity  in 
the  "Word  is  meant  this  spiritual  captivity,  may  appear  fi-oni  the 
following  passages  :  "  Hear,  I  pray  you,  all  people,  and  behold 
my  sorrow,  my  virgins  and  my  young  men  are  gone  into  cap- 
timty^''  Lament,  i.  18.  "God  forsook  the  tabernacle  of  Shiloli, 
the  tent  wiiich  he  placed  among  men,  and  delivered  his  strength 
into  captivity,^''  Psalm  Ixxviii.  60,  61.  "The  wind  shall  eat  up 
all  thy  pastors,  and  thy  lovers  shall  go  into  captivity ;  surely 
then  shalt  thou  be  ashamed  for  all  thy  wickedness,"  Jerem.  xxii. 
22.  "1  will  make  mine  arrows  drunk  with  the  blood  of  the 
slain  and  of  the  captives,"  Dent,  xxxii.  42.  "They  stoop,  they 
bow  down  together,  and  their  soul  is  gone  into  captivity,  hniah 
xlvi.  1,  2.  "  Jehovah  hath  sent  me  to  bind  up  the  bnjken- 
hearted,  to  proclaim  liberty  to  the  captives,  and  the  opening  of 
the  prison  to  them  that  are  bound,"  Isaiah  Ixi.  1 ;  Luke  iv.  18, 
19.  "  I  have  raised  him  uj)  in  righteousness ;  and  lie  shall  let 
go  my  captives,  not  for  jirice  nor  reward,"  Isaiah  xlv.  13. 
"Thou  hast  ascended  on  high,  thou  haftt  led  captivity  cap- 
tive,^'' Psalm  Ixviii.  18.  "  Shall  the  lawful  captive  be  delivered? 
Even  the  captives  of  the  mighty  shall  be  talcen  away,  and  the 
jrrey  of  the  terrible  shall  be  delivered,"  Isaiah  xlix.  24,  25. 
465  £  £ 


592 594-  THE    A.POCALTPSE    RKVKALED.  [Cliap.  xlil 

"  Shake  thyself  from  the  dust,  arise,  sit  down,  O  Jerusalem, 
loose  thyself  from  the  bands  of  thy  neck,  0  captive  daughter 
of  Zion^"'  Isaiah  lii.  1,  2 ;  not  to  mention  others ;  as  Jerem. 
xlviii.  46,  47;  1.  33,  34;  Ezek.  vi.  1—10;  xii.  1—12;  Obad.  i. 
11 ;  Psalm  xiv.  7  ;  1.  33,  34 ;  liii.  6.  By  the  captivities  of  the 
sons  of  Israel  by  their  enemies,  spoken  of  in  the  book  of  Judges, 
and  2  Kings  xxx.,  and  in  the  prophets,  were  represented,  and 
consequently  signified  spiritual  captivities,  of  which  elsewhere. 
By  those  that  are  bound,  or  prisoners,  the  same  is  signified  as 
by  captives  in  the  following  passages:  "By  the  blood  of  thy 
covenant  I  have  sent  forth  thy  jprisoners  out  of  the  pit,  M'here- 
in  is  no  water,"  Zech.  ix.  11.  "  Let  the  sighing  of  the  prisoiur 
come  before  thee,"  Psalm  Ixxix.  11.  "And  they  shall  be 
gathered  together  as  prisoners  are  gathered  in  the  pit,  and  shall 
be  shut  up  as  in  the  prison,"  Isaiah  xxiv.  22.  "  TJiat  made  the 
world  as  a  wilderness,  that  opened  not  the  house  of  Ixh  pi'lson- 
ers^''  Isaiah  xiv.  17.  "The  King  said,  I  was  in  prison.,  and  ye 
came  not  unto  me,"  Matt.  xxv.  36.  Jesus  said,  "  Ought  not 
this  woman,  being  a  daughter  of  Abraham,  whom  Satan  hath 
hound^  lo,  these  eighteen  years,  be  loosed  from  this  hand  on  the 
Sabbath  day?"  Luke  xiii.  16. 

592.  He  that  hilleth  loith  the  sword,  must  he  killed  loith  the 
sword,  signifies  that  he  who  hy  means  of  falses  destroys  the 
8oul  of  another,  is  himself  destroyed  by  falses,  and  perishes. 
By  a  sword,  a  dagger,  and  a  two-edged  sword,  is  signified 
truth,  and,  in  an  opposite  sense,  falsity,  both  militant,  n.  52, 
836  ;  therefore  by  killing  and  being  killed  is  signified  to  destroy 
and  be  destroyed,  or  to  ruin  and  to  perish,  which  is  effected  by 
falses. 

593.  JTere  is  the  patience  and  the  faith  of  the  saints,  signifies 
that  the  man  of  the  Lord^s  New  Church,  by  temptations  de- 
rived from  the  spirits  of  the  dragon,  is  explored  as  to  the  quality 
of  his  life  and  faith.  By  patience  is  here  signified  patience  in 
temptations,  and  in  such  case  exploration  of  man's  quality  as  to 
life  according  to  the  Lord's  commandments,  and  as  to  faith  in 
the  Lord ;  therefore  it  is  said,  here  is  patience  and  faith ;  by 
saints  are  signified  they  Avho  are  of  the  Lord's  New  Church, 
specifically  they  who  are  in  divine  truths  therein,  n.  586.  Pa- 
tience is  predicated  of  temptations,  whereby  man  is  explored  as 
to  what  he  really  is ;  likewise  as  in  other  parts  of  the  Apoca 
lypse,  as  in  chap.  i.  9 ;  ii.  3,  19 ;  iii.  10 :  that  it  means  as  to  a 
life  according  to  the  Lord's  commandments,  and  as  to  faith  in 
him,  is  evident  from  these  words,  "  They  have  no  rest  day  no? 

.  night  who  worship  the  beast  and  his  image,  here  is  the  poitienc^ 
of  the  saints ;  here  are  they  that  keep  the  commandments  of 
God,  and  the  faith  of  Jesus,"  Apoc.  xiv.  11,  12. 

594.  And  Iheheld  another  heast  coming  up  out  of  the  earthy 
signifies  the  clergy  in  the  churches  of  the  reformed  who  ara 

466 


T.  10,  11.]        THE  APOCALYPSE  KEVEALED.  595 


g 


rincipled  ii^tlie  doctrine  and  faith  of  tlie  drafijon  concerning 
rod  and  salvation.  What  the  natnre  of  tlie  faith  of  the  dragon 
is,  maj  be  seen  above,  n.  537.  The  laity  are  they  who  are 
meant  b}'  the  beast  which  came  up  out  of  the  sea,  and  the  clei'ffv 
by  the  beast  which  came  up  out  of  the  earth ;  because  by  the 
sea  is  sfgnitied  the  external  of  the  church,  and  by  the  eartli  its 
internal,  n.  398,  567,  and  tlie  laity  are  iii  the  externals  of  church 
doctrine,  and  the  clergy  in  its  internals.  That  the  clergy  are 
now  described,  appears  from  all  the  particulars  which  follow, 
when  understood  in  a  spiritual  sense  ;  and  manifestly  from  this 
circumstance,  that  this  beast  is  also  called  the  false  prophet, 
Apoc.  xvi.  13 }  xix.  20  ;  xx.  10  ;  and  especially  from  the  fol- 
lowing passage  :  "  And  the  beast  was  taken,  and  with  him  the 
false  prophet  that  wrought  miracles  before  him,  with  which 
lie  deceived  them  that  had  received  the  mark  of  the  beast,  and 
them  that  worshipped  his  image,"  xix.  20;  that  this  beast 
wrought  signs  before  the  other,  by  which  he  seduced  them,  is 
said  in  this  chapter  in  these  words  :  "  And  he  doeth  great  M'on- 
ders,  and  deceiveth  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  by  the  means 
of  those  miracles  which  he  had  the  power  to  do  in  the  sight  of 
the  beast,  saying  to  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  that  they 
should  make  an  image  to  the  beast,  and  worship  it,"  verses  13 
—15. 

595.  And  he  had  two  horns  like  a  lamh^  and  he  spake  as  a 
dragon,  signifies  that  what  they  say,  teach,  and  write,  is  from 
the  Word,  as  though  it  were  the  Lord's  divine  truth,  and  yet  it 
is  truth  falsified.  I3y  horns  is  signified  power,  n.  270,  443,  here 
the  power  of  speaking,  teaching,  and  writing,  thus  of  reasoning 
and  aro-uino;;  his  having  horns  like  a  lamb,  sio-nifies  that  thev 
propagate  these  their  notions  as  though  they  were  divine  truths 
of  tlie  Lord,  because  they  are  derived  from  the  Word:  for  by 
a  lamb  is  meant  the  Lord  as  to  his  Divine  Humanity,  and  like- 
wise as  to  the  Word,  which  is  divine  truth  from  divine  good  ; 
hence  it  is  that  upon  this  beast,  which  is  also  the  false  prophet, 
n.  594,  there  appeared  two  horns  like  a  lamb  ;  but  that  they 
were  divine  truths  falsified,  is  signified  by  his  sjieaking  as  a  dra- 
gon :  that  by  those  who  are  in  the  faith  of  the  dragon  concern- 
ing God  and  salvation  all  the  truths  of  the  Word  are  falsified, 
may  be  seen  above,  n.  505.  That  these  two  things  are  signified 
by  this  beast  having  two  horns  like  a  lamb  and  speaking  like  a 
dragon,  appears  evidently  from  these  words  of  the  Lord  in  Mat- 
thew :  "  If  any  man  shall  say  unto  you,  Lo,  here  is  Christ,  or 
there,  believe  it  not;  for  there  shall  arise  false  Christs  andyc/?.s<? 
■prophets,  and  shall  show  great  signs  and  wonders,  insoniucli  that 
if  it  were  possible,  they  shall  deceive  the  very  elect;  lehokl  I 
have  told  you  he/ore,^''  xxiv,  23 — 25.  By  Christ  is  signified  the 
same  as  here  by  lamb,  viz.,  the  Lord  as  to  the  divine  truth  of 
the  Word ;  therefore  their  saying,  "  Lo,  here  is  Christ,"  sign.'. 
467 


696 — 598  THE  APOCALVPSE  REVEALRf..  [Chap.  xiii. 

fies  t^iat  they  -would  say  that  tliis  is  the  divin#  truth  of  the 
Word  ;  but  that  the  same  would  be  falsified,  is  signified  by 
these  woi"ds,  "  If  any  one  shall  say  unto  you,  Here  is  Christ,  or 
there,  believe  it  not,  for  there  shall  arise  false  Christs  and  false 
prophets."  That  these  arc  they  concerning  whom  the  Lord  ut- 
ters this  prediction,  is  plain  from  this  consideration,  that  it  is 
said  they  would  show  great  signs  and  wonders,  and  would  de- 
ceive, if  possible,  the  elect;  the  same  as  is  said  of  this  beast, 
which  is  the  false  prophet,  in  verses  13,  14,  of  this  chapter. 
The  things  which  the  Lord  foretold  in  that  chapter  of  Matthew 
relate  to  the  last  time  or  state  of  the  church,  which  is  there 
meant  by  the  consummation  of  the  age. 

596.  And  he  exerciseth  all  the pov^er  oftJiefir^i  heast  before 
him^  signifies  that  they  confirmed  the  tenets  which  are  signified 
by  the  dragon,  and  are  received  by  the  laity,  and  that  they 
thence  derive  their  influence  and  authority,  Tiiat  tliis  is  signi- 
fied, may  be  seen  from  the  explanation  above  concerning  the 
power  given  by  the  dragon  to  the  beast  which  rose  out  of  the 
sea,  n.  575,  579 ;  and  as  this  beast,  which  is  the  false  prophet, 
exercised  that  power  before  the  dragon,  nothing  else  is  signified 
than  that  they  caused  them  to  prevail  by  their  confirmations. 

597.  And  causeth  the  earth  and  them  that  dwell  therein  to 
worship  the  first  heast  whose  deadly  wound  was  healed,  signifies 
that  thus  by  their  confirming  arguments  they  have  established 
this  tenet,  that  it  is  to  be  acknowledged  as  a  doctrine  sacred  in 
the  church,  that  since  no  one  can  do  good  works  from. himself 
and  fulfil  the  law,  the  only  medium  of  salvation  is  faith  in  the 
righteousness  and  merit  of  Christ,  who  sufiered  for  ma.n,  and 
thereby  took  away  the  sentence  of  the  law.  It  is  unnecessary 
to  explain  this  any  further,  because  it  follows  from  the  explana- 
tions given  in  n.  566,  577 — 582 :  by  the  earth  and  them  that 
dwell  therein,  are  signified  the  churches  of  the  reformed  as 
above ;  to  worship  signifies  to  acknowledge  a  thing  to  be  sacred 
in  the  church,  as  appears  also  above ;  in  the  present  instance  it 
signifies  to  acknowledge  as  sacred  that  which  is  understood  by 
the  beast  which  rose  out  of  the  sea,  after  his  death-wound  waa 
liealed  ;  and  this  has  been  explained  already. 

598.  And  he  doeth  great  signs,  signifies  testifications  that 
the  things  they  teach  are  true,  although  they  are  false.  By 
signs  are  signified  testifications  that  things  are  true,  because 
formerly  signs  were  wrought  to  bear  testimony  to  the  truth; 
but  after  the  cessation  of  signs  and  miracles,  their  signification 
still  continues,  which  is  a  testification  of  the  truth ;  but  in  the 
present  case  by  signs  are  signified  testifications  from  the  beast 
or  false  prophet,  that  his  falses  were  truths,  by  reason  that  when 
they  are  confirmed  they  do  not  appear  otherwise.  That  the 
testifications  of  a  truth  are  signified  by  signs,  may  appear  from 
the  following  passages :  In  the  consummation  of  the  age  there 

468 


V.  11--13.J  THE   APOCA^Vl'SE   KEVKALED.  508 

shall  "arise  false  Clirists  and  false  pro})liets,  and  sliall  show 
great  signs  andwonders,  insonnich  that,  if  it  were  possible,  they 
shall  deceive  the  very  elect,"  Matt.  xxiv.  24 ;  Mark  xiii.  22. 
"  And  great  signs  shall  there  be  from  lieaven,  and  there  shall 
he  sigiis  in  the  sun,  and  in  the  niuon ;  and  upon  the  earth  dis- 
tress of  nations,  with  ])erplexity,  tlie  sea  and  the  waves  roaring," 
Luke  xxi.  11,  25.  "Jehovah  frustrateth  the  signs  of  the  liara, 
and  niaketli  the  diviners  mad,  that  turneth  the  wise  men  back- 
ward and  maketh  their  knowledge  foolish,"  Isaiah  xliv.  25. 
"  Learn  not  the  way  of  the  heathen,  and  be  not  dismayed  at 
the  signs  of  the  heavens^''  Jerem.  x.  2.  "They  are  the  spirits 
of  devils  working  lairades  to  gather  them  to  the  battle  of  that 
great  day,"  Apoc.  xvi.  14.  "  And  the  beast  was  taken,  and 
with  him  the  false  prophet  that  wrought  miracles  before  him, 
with  which  he  deceived  them,"  Apoc.  xix.  20.  That  signs 
were  testifications  of  the  truth  of  a  thing,  appears  further  froni 
the  following  passages  :  The  disciples  said  to  Jesus,  "  what  sign 
showest  thou,  that  we  may  see  and  believe  thee?"  John  vi.  30 — 
33.  The  Jews,  Scribes,  and  Pharisees  sought  a  sign  of  the 
Lord,  that  they  might  know  that  he  was  the  Christ,  Matt.  xii. 
38 — 10;  xvi.  l—^\  Mark  viii.  11,  12;  Luke  xi.  16,  29,  30; 
John  ii.  16,  18,  19.  Tiie  disciples  said  to  Jesus,  "  AVhat  is  the 
sign  of  thy  coming  and  of  the  end  of  the  world?"  Matt.  xxiv.  3; 
Mark  xiii.  4.  "If  they  will  not  believe  thee,  neither  hearken 
to  the  voice  of  tlie^;"6'^  sign^  that  they  will  believe  the  voice  of 
the  latter  sign^"*  Exod.  iv.  8  :  the  voice  of  a  sign  is  testification, 
"  They  showed  his  signs  among  them,"  Psahn  cv.  27.  "  He 
said  unto  Ahaz,  Ask  thee  a  sign  of  Jehovah,"  Isaiah  vii.  11, 14. 
"And  this  shall  be  a  sign  unto  thee  from  Jehovah,  behold  I 
will  bring  again  the  shadow  of  the  degrees,  which  is  gone  down 
in  the  sun-dial  of  Ahaz,"  Isaiah  xxxviii.  7,  8.  "Hezekiah  also 
had  said,  What  is  the  sign^  that  I  shall  go  up  to  the  house  of 
Jehovah  ?"  Isaiah  xxxviii.  22.  "  And  this  shall  be  a  8ig7i  uiito 
you,  saith  Jehovah,  that  I  will  punish  you  in  this  place,  that  ye 
may  know  that  my  Avords  shall  surely  stand  against  you  for 
evil,"  Jerem.  xliv.  29,  30.  "  O  Jehovah,  show  me  a  sign  for 
good,  that  they  which  hate  me  may  see  it  and  be  ashamed," 
Psalm  Ixxxvi.  17.  "  Let  them  bring  them  forth  and  show  us 
what  shall  happen,  that  we  may  consider  them ;  show  a  sign  of 
what  is  to  come  hereafter,  that  we  may  know  that  ye  are  gods," 
Isaiah  xli.  22,  23.  "Thine  enemies  roar  in  the  midst  of  thy 
congregations,  they  have  set  up  their  e^isignsfor  signs^''"'  Psahn 
Ixxiv.  3,  4,  9;  besides  other  places,  as  Isaiah  xlv.  11,  13;  Jerem. 
xxxi.  20,  21  ;  Ezek.  iv.  3;  Psalm  Ixv.  7,  8;  Psalm  Ixxviii.  42, 
43  ;  Exod.  iv.  3  ;  Numb.  xiv.  11,  22;  Deut.  iv.  34;  xiii.  2 — 4; 
Judges  vi.  17,  21;  1  Sam.  ii.  34;  xiv.  10;  Mark  xvi.  17,  18, 
20;  Luke  ii.  11,  12,  16.  The  same  is  signified  by  the  sigii  of 
ike  covenant^  Gen.  ix.  13;  xvii.  11  ;  Ezek.  xx.  12,  20.  Jjcnce 
469 


599,  600  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  [Chap.  xiii. 

it  may  clearly  be  seen,  that  by  the  great  signs  which  this  beast 
of  tlie  dragon  works,  are  not  meant  signs,  but  the  testifications 
by  tlieni  that  what  they  teach  are  truths  ;  for  ever}^  heretic  who 
has  confirmed  himself  in  falses,  after  confirmation,  strives  to 
prove  that  his  falses  are  truths ;  for  then  he  no  longer  sees  truths, 
inasmuch  as  the  confirmation  of  falsity  is  the  negation  of  truth, 
and  when  a  truth  is  denied  it  loses  its  light ;  and  so  far  as  falses 
shine  from  the  light  of  confirmation,  Avhicli  is  an  infatuating 
light,  so  far  the  light  of  truth  is  turned  into  darkness,  as  may 
be  seen  above,  n.  566. 

599.  So  that  he  raaketh  fire  corne  down  from  heaven  on  earth 
in  the  sight  of  men,  signifies  attestations  that  their  falsities  are 
truths  of  heaven,  and  that  they  who  receive  them  are  saved,  and 
that  they  who  do  not  receive  them  perish.  The  reason  why  this 
is  signified  by  these  words,  is,  because  the  greatest  signs  were 
wrought  by  fire  from  heaven  ;  whence  it  was  a  common  saying 
among  the  ancients  in  confirmation  of  any  thing,  when  the  mat- 
ter in  question  was  concerning  the  testification  of  truth,  that 
they  could  bring  down  fire  from  heaven  to  testify  it ;  by  which 
was  signified  that  they  could  testify  even  to  that  extent.  That 
the  truth  was  also  testified  by  fire  from  heaven,  appears  from  the 
following  passages:  That  the  burnt-oflfering  which  was  offered 
by  Aaron  was  consumed  hy  fire  from  heaven,  Levit.  ix.  24,  and 
in  like  manner  the  hurnt-offering  which  was  off'ered  by  Elijah, 
1  Kings  xviii.  38.  Fire  from  heaven,  in  an  opposite  sense,  was  a 
sign  testifying  that  they  were  in  evils  and  thence  in  falses,  and 
that  they  would  perish  ;  but  this  fire  was  a  consuming  fire  ;  as 
for  instance,  The,  fire  from  heaven  that  consumed  the  two  sons 
of  Aaron,  Levit.  x.  1 — 6.  That  which  consumed  two  hundred 
and  fifty  men,  Numb.  xxvi.  10.  That  which  consumed  the 
uttermost  parts  of  the  camp,  Numb.  xi.  1 — 4.  That  which 
twice  consumed  fifty  men  sent  by  the  king  to  Elijah,  2  Kings  i. 
10,  12.  The  j?/'g  and  hrimstone  which  came  down  from  heaven 
upon  Sodom,  Gen.  xix.  24,  25,  The  fire  from  heaven  which 
consumed  those  who  compassed  the  camp  of  the  saints  and  the 
beloved  city,  concerning  which  see  Apocalypse  xx.  9.  The  dis- 
ciples being  angry  with  the  impenitent,  said  to  Jesus,  "Lord, 
wilt  thou  that  we  command ^re  to  come  down  from  heaven  and 
consume  them  ?"  Luke  ix.  54.  These  passages  are  adduced  to 
show  that  fire  from  heaven  signifies  a  testification,  yea,  an  attes- 
tation, that  truth  is  truth,  and,  in  an  opposite  sense,  that  falsity 
is  truth,  as  in  the  present  instance.  Fire  also  signifies  celestial 
love,  and  thus  zeal  for  the  truth,  and,  in  an  opposite  sense,  in- 
fernal love,  and  thence  zeal  for  falsehood,  n.  468,  494. 

600.  And  deceiveth  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  hy  the  means 
of  those  signs  which  he  had  power  to  do  in  the  sight  of  the  heast, 
signifies  that  by  their  testifications  and  attestations  they  lead 
the  men  of  the  church  into  errors.     To  seduce  signifies  to  lead 

470 


V.  13,  14.]  Tin;    APOCALTPSE    KEVKALED.  601 

into  orrors  ;  by  tlicin  that  dwell  on  the  earth  are  sipjiiified  the 
men  of  the  Reformed  Churcli,  as  above,  n.  578,  588,  597 ;  by 
the  signs  wliich  it  was  given  him  to  do  before  tlie  beast,  are  sig- 
nitied  testifications,  or  asseverations  and  attestations,  n.  598, 
599  :  by  the  beast  wliich  rose  out  of  the  sea,  before  whom  the 
signs  were  done,  is  signified  the  faith  of  the  dragon  among 
the  laity,  n.  567;  and  by  the  beast  which  rose  out  of  the 
earth  and  did  the  signs,  and  Avhich  in  other  places  is  called 
the  false  prophet,  is  signified  the  faith  of  the  drag(^n  among 
the  clergv,  n.  594.  Tlie  like  is  said  by  the  Lord  in  Matthew 
XX iv.  24^26. 

601.  Safjhig  to  them  that  clioell  on  the  earthy  that  they  should 
make  an  image  to  the  heast^  which  had  the  wound  hy  a  sioord 
and  lived,  signifies  tiiat  they  induce  the  men  of  the  church  to 
receive  for  doctrine,  that  faith  is  the  only  medium  of  salvattmi, 
because  no  one  can  do  good  from  himself  but  what  is  merito- 
rious, and  because  no  one  can  fulfil  the  law,  and  so  be  sa's'bd. 
l>y  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  are  meant  the  men  of  the 
Reformed  Church,  as  above,  n.  600  ;  by  an  image  is  signified 
the  doctrine  of  that  church,  as  will  be  seen  presently  ;  and  by 
the  image  of  the  beast,  which  had  the  wound  by  a  sword  and 
I'ved,  is  signified  this  doctrine,  that  faith  is  the  only  medium  of 
salvation,  because  no  one  can  do  good  from  himself  but  what  ie 
meritorious,  and  because  no  one  can  fulfil  the  law,  and  so  be 
saved,  as  above,  n.  576,  577,  &c.  Every  church  a})pcurs  before 
the  Lord  as  a  man  ;  if  it  is  in  truths  from  the  Word,  it  appears 
as  a  beautiful  man,  but  if  it  is  in  trutlis  falsified,  it  appears  as  a 
man-monster:  the  church  so  appears  from  its  doctrine  and  from 
a  life  according  to  it ;  from  which  it  follows,  that  the  doctrine  of 
a  church  constitutes  its  image.  This  may  also  be  seen  from  the 
following  consideration :  every  man  is  his  own  good  and  truth, 
or  his  own  evil  and  falsity,  man  being  truly  a  man  from  no  othei 
ground  ;  consequently  it  is  doctrine  and  conformity  of  the  life 
to  it  which  makes  the  image  of  a  man  of  the  church,  the  image 
being  that  of  a  beautiful  man,  if  the  doctrine  and  the  life  ac- 
cording to  it  be  formed  from  genuine  truths  of  the  Word  ;  but 
it  is  the  image  of  a  man-monster,  if  formed  from  falsified  truths 
of  the  AVord.  Man,  indeed,  in  the  spiritual  world,  appears  like 
some  animal ;  but  it  is  his  affection  which  has  this  ai)pearance 
at  a  distance  :  they  who  are  in  truths  and  goods  from  the  Lord, 
appear  as  lambs  and  doves,  but  they  who  are  in  falsified  truths 
and  adulterated  goods,  appear  as  owls  and  bats;  they  who  aro 
in  faith  separated  from  charity,  as  dragons  and  goats  ;  they  who 
are  in  falses  from  evil,  appear  as  basilisks  and  crocodiles ;  and 
they  who  are  such,  and  yet  have  confirmed  the  doctrinals  of  the 
church,  have  the  appearance  of  fiery  flying  serpents.  From 
these  considerations  it  may  be  seen,  that  cliurch-doctrine  and 
conformity  of  life  to  it  are  meant  by  the  image  of  the  beast 
•471 


G02,  603  THE  APOCALYPSE  REVEALED.  [Chap,  xiii, 

M'hich  they  made  for  the  dwellers  upon  earth.  Bat  what  be- 
came of  those  who  worshipped  the  image  of  the  beast,  may  be 
seen,  Apoc.  xiv.  _9--ll ;  xix.  20  ,  kx.  4.  In  a  spiritual  sense, 
images  have  a  similar  significatiui;  in  Exodus  xx.  4,  5 ;  Levit. 
xxyi.  1  ;  Dent.  iv.  16—18  ;  Isaiah  ii.  20  ;  Ezek.  vii.  20  ;  xvi.  IT 
xxiii.  14 — ^16.  Tlie  idols  and  graven  images  of  the  ancients 
were  images  of  their  religion,  on  which  account  falses  and  evils 
of  doctrine  are  signified  by  them,  n.  459. 

602.  And  he  had  power  to  give  hreath  unto  the  image  of  the 
heast,  that  the  image  of  the  least  should  both  speak,  signifies 
tliat  it  was  permitted  them  to  confirm  that  doctrine  by  means  of 
the  Word,  whereby  it  does  as  it  were  receive  life'when  it  is 
taught.  By  his  having  power  is  signified  that  it  was  permitted ; 
for  all  falses  of  doctrine,  as  well  as  evils  of  life,  are  of  permis- 


the  image  of  the  beast  is  signified  to  confirm  it  from  the  Word, 
lor  there  is  no  spirit  and  life  to  anj^  docti-ine  of  the  church  from 
any  other  source ;  that  the  image  of  the  beast  might  speak, 
signifies  that  so  it  may  seem  to  have  life  when  it  is  taught.  The 
true  reason  why  this  is  meant  by  giving  spirit  to  the  image  of 
the  beast,  that  it  might  speak,  is,  because  in  every  particular  of 
the  Word  there  is  spirit  and  life,  for  the  Lord  spake  the  Word, 
therefore  he  himself  is  in  it,  and  he  so  spake  the  Word  as  that 
every  thing  therein  should  have  communication  with  heaven, 
aiid  through  heaven  with  himself,  there  being  a  spiritual  sense 
in  it,  whereby  communication  is  eftected ;  wherefore  the  Lord 
says,  "  The  words  that  I  speak  unto  you,  they  are  sjnrit  and 
they  are  life^''  John  vi.  63. 

603.  And  cause,  that  as  many  as  would  not  worship  the 
image  of  the  heast  should  he  killed,  signifies  that  they  denounce 
damnation  against  those  who  do  not  acknowledge  their  doctriAo 
of  faith  to  be  the  holy  doctrine  of  the  church.  To  worship  the 
image  of  the  beast  signifies  to  acknowledge  their  doctrine  of 
faith  as  holy  church-doctrine  ;  for  by  worshipping  is  signified  to 
acknowledge  as  a  sacred  principle  of  the  church,  n.  579,  580, 
£•88,  597,  and  by  the  image  of  the  beast  is  signified  the  doc- 
trine, n,  601  ;  by  being  killed  is  signified  to  be  killed  spiritually, 
which  is  to  be  damned,  n.  325,  and  elsewhere ;  and  as  being 
killed  signifies  to  be  damned,  it  also  signifies  to  be  declared  a 
heretic,  and  excluded  from  the  communion  with  the  church, 
for  such  a  one,  in  their  eyes,  is  considered  as  damned.  This  is 
done  by  the  learned  among  the  clergy,  who  have  imbibed  the 
mysteries  of  justification  in  schools  and  universities,  especially 
they  who  are  puflPed  up  with  a  conceit  of  their  own  erudition  in 
such  things ;  these  condemn  all  wlio  do  not  think  as  they  do, 
and  so  f;ir  as  they  dare,  they  fulminate  against  them.  This  J 
472 


V.   14 16.  rilK    ATOCALYPSE    KEVEALED.  C04,  G05 

can  declare,  tliat  tbev  who  have  iiiihibed  tlicse  mysteries,  and 
were  in  consequence  in  the  })ride  ot"  erudition,  are  so  invete- 
rate in  the  spiritual  world  against  those  who  worship  the  Lord 
only,  and  do  not  acknowledge  faith  alone  as  the  sole  means  of 
salvation,  that  they  burn  with  wrath  and  fury  when  they  see 
them,  and  abo  when  they  feel  at  a  distance  the  divine  sphere 
of  the  Lord  and  a  sphere  of  charity  encompassing  them.  Since 
they  are  such,  the  dragon  is  therefore  described  as  a  most  in- 
veterate o  lemy  to  them,  as  tbat  he  "stood  before  the  woman 
wJiich  was  ready  to  be  delivered,  for  to  devour  her  child  as  soon 
as  it  was  born.  And  the  serpent  cast  out  of  its  mouth  water 
as  a  flood  after  the  wonum,  that  he  miglit  cause  her  to  be  car- 
ried away  of  the  flood.  And  the  dragon  was  wroth  with  the 
woman,  and  went  to  make  war  with  the  remnant  of  her  seed," 
Apoc.  xii.  4,  15,  17.  That  "out  of  the  mouth  of  the  dragon, 
and  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  beast,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of 
tiie  false  prophet,"  there  came  forth  three  unclean  spirits  like 
frogs,  to  gather  them  to  the  battle  of  the  great  day  of  God 
Almighty,  Apoc.  xvi.  13 — 16 ;  the  same  in  chap.  xix.  10,  20,  and 
XX.  8 — 10 ;  as  also  that  the  beast  that  ascendeth  out  of  the 
bottomless  pit  slew  the  two  witnesses,  and  cast  out  their  bodies 
into  the  street  of  the  great  city,  which  spiritually  is  called 
Sodom  and  Egypt,  and  snii'ered  not  their  dead  bodies  to  be  put 
into  graves,  Apoc.  xi.  7 — 9:  by  not  suflering  them  to  be  put 
into  graves  is  signifled  to  reject  them  as  condemned,  n.  506. 

604.  A7id  he  caused  all,  both  .sniall  and  great,  and  rich  and 
poor,  free  and  hond,  signities  all  in  that  church,  whatsoever  may 
be  their  condition,  learning,  and  intelligence.  By  small  and 
great  are  here  hieant  they  wlio  are  in  a  greater  or  lesser  degree 
of  dignity,  thus  of  whatever  condition ;  by  rich  and  poor  are 
meant  they  who  are  more  or  less  in  knowledges  and  sciences, 
n.  206,  thus  of  whatever  degree  of  learning;  b}'  free  and  bond 
are  meant  they  whose  wisdom  is  from  themselves  and  they 
whose  wisdom  is  from  others,  n.  337,  thus  of  whatever  degree 
of  intelligence ;  therefore  by  all,  both  small  and  great,  rich  and 
poor,  fi'ee  and  bond,  are  meant  all  in  that  church  whatever  may 
be  their  condition,  learning,  and  intelligence.  These  are  the 
things  that  arc  understood  in  the  spiritual  sense. 

605.  To  receive  a  mark  in  their  right  hand  or  in  their  fore- 
heads, signifies  that  no  one  is  acknowledged  to  be  a  reformed 
Christian  unless  he  receives  that  docti'ine  in  faith  and  love.  By 
receiving  amark  is  signiiied  to  be  acknowledged  to  be  a  reformed 
Christian,  or  of  the  confession  which  that  docti-ine  teaches;  a 
mark  denotes  such  acknowledgment  and  confession  ;  by  the 
right  hand  is  signified  the  all  of  man  as  to  intellectual  power 
thus  as  to  faith,  for  the  riglit  hand  signifies  the  power  of  man, 
n.  457;  by  the  forehead  is  signified  the  all  of  man  as  to  volun- 
tary power,  tiius  as  to  love,  for  the  forehead  signifies  love,  n.  347. 

473 


606  THE    APOCALYPSE   KEVEALED,  [Cliap.  xiil 

606  And  that  no  man  might  huy  or  sell  save  he  that  had  the 
inark.,  or  name  of  the  beast,  or  the  number  of  his  name^  signifies 
that  it  is  not  lawful  for  any  one  to  teach  from  the  Word,  nor 
consequently  to  be  inaugurated  into  the  jDriesthood,  honoured 
with  the  magisterial  laurel,  invested  with  the  doctor's  cap,  and 
called  orthodox,  unless  he  acknowledges  that  doctrine,  and 
swears  to  the  belief  and  love  thereof,  or  of  that  which  is  in 
agreement,  or  of  that  which  is  not  at  variance  w'ith  it.  By 
buying  and  selling  is  signified  to  acquire  knowledges,  here  such 
as  belong  to  that  doctrine,  and  to  teach  them,  as  will  appeal 
presently  ;  by  a  mark  is  signified  the  acknowledgment  of  being 
a  reformed  Christian,  and  confession  that  he  is  so,  n.  605;  by 
the  name  of  the  beast  is  signified  the  quality  of  the  doctrine, 
by  name  the  quality,  n.  81,  122,  165,  58-i,  and  by  the  beast  is 
signified  the  doctrine  received  \)S  the  laity,  consequently  by  the 
community  at  large,  n.  567 ;  and  as  it  is  said,  or  the  name  of 
the  beast,  that  which  is  in  agreement  with  it  and  its  quality  is 
signified  :  by  number  is  signified  the  quality  of  a  thing,  n.  448  ; 
and  because  it  is  said,  or  the  number  of  his  name,  that  whicli 
is  not  at  variance  M'ith  it  and  its  quality  is  signified.  It  is  so 
said,  because  the  doctrine  whicli  is  signified  by  the  dragon  and 
his  ijeast,  vai'ie^  in  the  dififerent  kingdoms  in  which  the  Re- 
formed Church  exists  ;  whilst  it  is  the  same  as  to  this  chief  or 
leading  tenet,  That  faith  without  the  works  of  the  law 
JUSTIFIES  AND  SAVES.  That  to  buy  and  sell  signifies  to  procure 
knowledges,  and  teach  them,  in  like  manner  to  merchandise, 
trade,  and  gain,  appears  from  the  following  passages :  "  Ho, 
every  one  that  thirsteth,  come  ye  to  the  waters,  and  he  that 
hath  no  money,  come  ye,  Ji^y  and  eat;  yea,  come,  5i/y  wine  and 
milk  without  money  and  without  price,"  Isaiah  1  v.  1.  "Ye 
have  sold  yourselves  for  nought,  and  ye  shall  be  redeemed  with- 
out money,"  Isaiah  lii.  3.  "  With  thy  wisdom  and  wnth  thine 
understanding  hast  thou  gotten  thee  riches,  and  by  thy  great 
wisdom  and  by  thy  traffic  hast  thou  increased  thy  riches,"  Ezek. 
xxviii.  5.  Since  by  Tyre  is  signified  the  church  as  to  the 
knowledges  of  t}ungs  good  and  true,  therefore  it  is  said  of  Tyre, 
"All  the  ships  of  the  sea  were  to  carry  on  thy  merchandise : 
Tarshish  was  thy  merchant  in  silver:  Javan,  Tubal,  and  Mesheck, 
they  were  thy  merchants,  they  traded  in  persons  of  men  :  Syria 
was  thy  merchant  in  emeralds:  thy  riches,  thy  traffic,  thy  mer- 
cliandise,  they  that  carry  on  thy  merchandise^  shall  fall  into 
the  midst  of  the  seas  in  the  day  of  thy  ruin,"  Ezek.  xxvii.  1 
to  the  end.  "  Howl,  ye  ships  of  Tarshish,  for  Tyre  is  laid 
waste,  whose  merchants  are  princes,  and  whose  trafficl'ers  are 
the  honourable  of  the  earth,"  Isaiah  xxiii.  1 — 8.  Tlie  same  is 
meant  by  trad'  g,  in  the  Lord's  parable  of  the  man  who  tra- 
velled into  a  far  country,  and  gave  his  servants  talents,  that 
they  might  trade  with  them  and  gain,  Matt.  xxv.  14 — 20 
474 


V.  17,  18.]  THK   APOCALYPSE   KEVEiLED.  607— 60S 

And  of  the  other,  who  gave  his  servant  ten  pounds  to  IrcifJi 
with,  Luke  xix.  12 — 20.  And  of  the  "  treasure  hid  in  a  liekl ; 
tlie  which  when  a  man  hath  found,  and  liideth  for  joy  tliereof, 
he  goeth  and  selleth  all  that  lie  hath  and  huyeth  that  field," 
Matt.  xiii.  4-i.  And  of  hitn  that  sought  goodly  pearls,  who, 
when  he  had  found  one  pearl  of  great  price,  went  and  sold  all 
that  he  had,  and  bought  it.  Matt.  xiii.  45,  46.  "Such  have 
th}'  merchants  been  from  thy  youth :  they  shall  wander  every 
one  to  his  quarter,  none  shall  save  thee,"  Isaiah  xlvii.  15.  Not 
to  mention  many  other  instances. 

607.  Here  is  wisdoin,  signifies  that  it  is  the  part  of  a  wise 
man,  from  what  has  been  said  and  explained  in  this  chapter,  to 
see  and  understand  the  nature  of  the  doctrine  and  faith  of  the 
clergy  concerning  God  and  salvation.  It  is  said  here,  because 
those  things  are  meant  which  are  declared  and  explained  in  this 
chapter,  specifically  concerning  the  beast  which  rose  out  of 
the  earth,  by  which  is  signified  tlie  doctrine  and  consecpient 
taith  of  the  clergy  concerning  God  and  salvation,  n.  594,  for 
the  things  contained  in  this  verse  are  said  of  that  beast ;  and  as 
it  is  the  part  of  a  wise  man,  or  of  wisdom,  to  see  and  under- 
stand what  that  doctrine  and  consequent  faith  is,  it  is  therefore 
said,  Here  is  wisdom. 

608.  Let  him  that  hath  tmderstanding  count  the  number  of 
the  beast,  signifies  that  he  who  is  in  illustration  from  the  Lord, 
may  know  the  nature  and  quality  of  their  confirmations  of  that 
doctrine  and  faith  from  the  Word.  To  have  intelligence  signi- 
fies to  be  in  illustration  from  the  Lord ;  to  compute  the  num- 
ber signifies  to  know  the  quality,  number  signifying  quality,  n. 
343,  364,  448,  and  to  comj)ute  signifies  to  know  ;  and  because 
the  quality  which  is  signified  by  number  is  its  quality  as  to 
truth,  iind  all  truth  of  doctrine  and  faith  in  the  church  being 
from  the  Word,  therefore  it  means  the  quality  of  their  confirm- 
ations from  the  Word ;  this  also  is  the  quality  which  is  signi- 
fied by  the  number  six  hundred  sixty  and  six,  as  will  be  seen 
presently. 

609.  I^or  it  is  the  nwnber  of  a  man,  signifies  the  quality  of 
the  Word  and  thence  of  the  church.  By  man  is  signified  wis- 
dom and  intelligence,  n.  243;  here  wisdom  and  intelligence 
fi'om  the  Word  ;  thus  also  the  Word  as  to  the  wisdom  and  in- 
telligence in  the  man  of  the  church;  the  church  itself  likewise 
appears  before  the  Lord  as  a  man  ;  hence  a  man  of  the  church, 
as  to  his  spirit,  appears  in  heaven  as  a  man  according  to  the 
quality  of  the  church  derived  from  the  Word  in  him  ;  this 
therefore  it  is  whicli  is  signified  here  by  the  number  of  a  man, 
because  it  follows  after  these  words.  Let  him  that  hath  intelli- 
gence compute  the  number  of  the  beast,  by  which  is  signified 
that  he  who  is  in  illustration  from  the  Lord  may  know  whal 
the  quality  of  the  confirmations  of  the  doctrine  and  faith  cou- 

415 


6;  )  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED.  [Chap,  xiii 

oerning  God  and  salvation  among  the  clergy  really  is.  The 
quality  of  the  church  as  derived  from  tlie  Word  is  also  signified 
by  man,  n.  920,  and  also  in  other  places. 

GIO.  And  his  number  is  six  hundred  sixty  and  six,  signifies 
this  quality,  that  all  the  truth  of  the  Word  is  falsified  by  theut 
By  the  number  of  the  beast  is  signified  the  quality  of  the  con- 
firmations of  doctrine  and  faith  from  the  Word  among  them,  n. 
608,  609  ;  by  six  hundred  sixty  and  six  is  signified  every  truth 
of  good,  and  as  this  is  said  of  the  Word,  it  signifies  every  truth 
of  good  in  the  Word,  here  the  same  falsified,  because  it  is  the 
number  of  the  beast.  The  reason  of  this  signification  is,  be- 
cause six  signifies  the  same  as  three  multiplied  by  two,  and 
three  signifies  what  is  full  and  all,  and  is  predicated  of  trutlis, 
n.  505,  and  two  signifies  the  marriage  of  truth  and  good ;  and 
as  six  is  composed  of  those  two  numbers  multiplied  by  each 
other,  it  therefore  signifies  every  truth  of  good  in  the  Word, 
but  here  the  same  falsified  :  that  it  is  also  falsified  by  them  may 
be  seen  above,  n.  566.  The  number  six  hundred  sixty  and  six 
is  used,  because  in  that  number  six  is  tripled,  and  triplication 
completes  ;  the  multiplying  by  one  hundred,  whence  comes  six 
hundred,  and  by  ten,  whence  comes  sixty,  makes  no  diff'erence, 
as  may  be  seen  above,  n.  348.  That  six  signifies  what  is  full 
and  ail,  and  is  used  where  the  truths  of  good  are  treated  of, 
may  appear  from  those  passages  in  the  Word  where  that  nuui 
ber  occurs  ;  but  this  signification  of  this  number  does  no<. 
clearly  appear  except  to  those  who  see  the  things  concerning 
which  it  treats  in  the  spiritual  sense,  as  when  the  Lord  saj's, 
"That  the  seed  which  fell  on  good  ground,  brought  forth  fruit, 
some  thirti/-i'o\d,  some  sixty-fold,  some  an  hwidred-told,''^  Mark 
iv.  8,  20 ;  Matt.  xiii.  8,  23.  That  the  householder  went  out 
and  brought  labourers  into  his  vineyard  at  the  third  hour  and 
at  the  sixth  hour,  Matt.  xx.  3,  5.  That  upon  the  table  in  the 
tabernacle  the  cakes  of  bread  were  set  in  two  rows,  six  on  aroio, 
Levit.  xxiv.  6.  That  there  were  set  six  water  pots,  after  the 
manner  of  the  purifying  of  the  Jews,  John  ii.  6.  That  there 
were  six  cities  of  refuge  or  asylums,  Numb.  xxxv.  6,  7 ;  Deut. 
xix.  1 — 9.  That  the  measuring  reed  with  which  the  angel 
measured  all  parts  of  the  new  temple  and  new  city,  was  six 
cicMts  long,  Ezek.  xl.  5.  That  the  prophet  was  to  drink  water 
by  measure,  the  sixth  part  of  an  hin,  Ezek.  iv.  11.  That  they 
were  to  take  for  an  onering  the  sixth  part  of  an  ephah  of  an 
homer  of  wheat,  Ezek.  xlv.  13.  Because  six  signifies  what  ia 
full,  tlie  word  to  sextate,  or  give  a  sixth  part,  came  into  use, 
by  which,  in  a  spiritual  sense,  is  signified  what  is  complete  and 
entire ;  as,  That  the}^  should  ofter  the  sixth  part  of  an  ephah 
out  of  an  homer  of  wheat,  Ezek.  xlv.  13;  and  it  is  said  of 
Gog,  I  will  turn  thee  back,  and  leave  but  the  sixth  part  of 
tliec.  or  will  sextate  thee,  Ezek.  xxxix.  2 ;  by  which  is  sigui 

'476 


V.  17,  18.J        THK  APOCALYI'SK  RKVKALKD.  61! 

ficd  that  with  him  every  trutli  of  good  in  the  "Word  slioiiM 
be  utterly  destroyed :  who  are  meant  hy  Gog,  may  be  seen  at 
n.  859. 

611.  I  shall  here  subjoin  this  Memorable  Relation.  All 
who  are  prepared  for  heaven,  a  process  which  takes  place  in 
the  world  of  spirits,  which  is  in  the  midst  between  heaven  and 
hell,  after  a  certain  time,  begin  to  have  an  earnest  desire  and 
longing  for  heaven,  and  presently  their  eyes  are  opened,  and 
they  see  a  way  which  leads  to  some  society  in  heaven  ;  thev 
take  this  way  and  ascend,  and  as  they  ascend  there  is  a  gate, 
and  a  keeper  at  it;  the  keeper  of  the  gate  opens  it,  and  they 
go  in.  They  are  then  accosted  by  an  examiner,  who  tells  them 
from  the  governor,  that  they  may  enter  in  still  further,  and 
inquire  whether  there  are  any  houses  which  they  cai|  acknow- 
ledge as  their  own,  for  there  is  a  new  house  for  every  novitiate 
angel  ;  and  if  they  find  any,  they  give  notice  and  remain  there, 
and  if  they  do  not  find  any,  they  come  back  and  report  the 
same;  and  then  they  are  examined  by  a  certain  sage  there,  to 
discover  whether  the  light  that  is  in  them  accords  with  the 
light  of  that  society,  and  particularly  whether  the  heat  accords; 
for  the  light  of  heaven  in  its  essence  is  divine  truth,  and  the 
heat  of  heaven  in  its  essence  is  divine  good,  both  proceeding 
from  the  Lord  as  the  sun  there ;  if  any  other  light  and  any 
other  heat  than  the  light  and  heat  of  that  society  is  in  theni, 
they  are  not,received,  that  is,  if  any  other  truth  and  aiiy  other 
good  is  in  them,  therefore  they  depart  thence,  and  proceed  in 
the  ways  which  are  opened  among  the  societies  in  heaven,  and 
this  till  they  find  a  society  which  accords  in  every  respect  with 
their  aft'ections,  and  here  they  take  up  their  abode  to  eternity; 
for  they  are  here  among  their  like,  as  among  relations  and 
friends,  whom,  as  being  in  a  similar  affection,  they  cordially 
love,  and  there  they  are  in  the  enjoyment  of  their  life,  and  in 
a  fullness  of  bosom-delight  derived  from  peace  of  soul  ;  foi 
there  is  in  the  heat  aTid  light  of  heaven  an  ineffable  delight, 
which  is  communicated.  Such  is  the  case  with  those  who 
become  angels.  But  they  who  are  in  evils  and  falses  may, 
indeed,  by  permission,  ascend  into  heaven  ;  but  when  they 
enter,  they  begin  to  draw  their  breath  or  to  respire  with  diffi- 
culty, and  presently  their  sight  is  obscured,  their  understand- 
ing is  darkened,  aiid  thought  ceases,  and  death  seems  present 
before  their  eyes,  and  thus  they  stand  like  a  stock;  and  then 
they  begin  to  have  a  beating  at  the  heai't,  and  a  straitncss  over 
the  breast,  the  mind  is  seized  with  anguish,  and  they  become 
more  and  more  tormented,  and  in  that  state  writhe  themselves 
about  like  a  serpent  laid  before  the  fire  ;  therefore  they  roll 
themselves  away,  and  cast  themselves  headlong  down  a  preci- 
pice which  then  appears  to  them  ;  nor  do  thev  rest  till  they  are 

477 


tUl  THE   APOCALYPSE   REVEALED  [Chap.  Xlii 

in  liell  among  their  like,  where  thej  can  respire,  and  their  heart 
can  vibrate  freely.  Afterwards  they  hate  heaven,  and  reject 
truth,  and  in  heart  blaspheme  the  Lord,  being  persuaded  that 
their  anguish  and  torments  in  heaven  proceeded  from  him. 
From  these  few  circumstances  it  may  be  seen  what  their  lot  is 
Avho  make  no  account  of  truths,  which  yet  constitute  the  light 
in  which  the  angels  of  heaven  dwell,  and  who  make  no  account 
of  good,  which  yet  constitutes  the  heat  in  which  the  angels  of 
heaven  dwell.  From  the  same  considerations  also  it  may  appear 
how  much  they  are  mistaken,  who  imagine  that  every  one  may 
enjoy  heavenly  beatitude,  provided  only  he  be  admitted  into 
heaven.  For  the  common  belief  at  this  day  is,  that  to  be  re- 
ceived into  heaven  depends  solely  upon  mercy;  and  that  recep 
tion  into  heaven  is  the  same  thing  as  being  admitted,  in  this 
world,  ijito  a  house  where  there  is  a  marriage,  and  there  par- 
taking of  the  amusements  and  festivity  of  the  place.  But  let 
them  know,  that  there  is  a  communication  of  affections  in  the 
spiritual  world,  man  being  then  a  spirit,  and  the  life  of  a  spirit 
Ijeing  affection,  from  which,  and  according  to  which,  thought 
proceeds;  and  that  homogeneous  affection  conjoins  and  hete- 
I'ogeneous  affection  disjoins,  and  that  heterogeneity  would  tor- 
ment a  devil  in  heaven,  and  an  angel  in  hell;  for  which  reason 
they  are  separated  exactly  according  to  the  diversities,  varieties, 
and  differences  of  the  affections  which  are  of  love. 

It  was  granted  me  to  see  upwards  of  three  hundred  of  the 
clergy  of  the  Reformed  Church,  all  men  of  learning,  who  knew 
how  to  confirm  the  doctrine  of  faith  alone  even  to  justification, 
and  some  of  them  still  further ;  and  because  there  prevailed  a 
belief  among  them  also,  that  heaven  consists  only  in  admission 
by  favour,  leave  was  given  them  to  ascend  to  a  society  in  heaven, 
though  not  to  a  superior  one ;  and  as  they  ascended  together, 
they  appeared  at  a  distance  like  calves,  and  upon  their  entrance 
into  heaven  they  were  received  with  civility  by  the  angels,  but 
when  they  discoursed  with  them,  they  were  seized  with  trejn- 
bling,  afterwai'ds  with  horror,  and  lastly  with  the  agonies  as 
it  were  of  death,  upon  which  they  cast  themselves  down  head- 
long, and  in  their  descent  they  appeared  like  dead  horses.  The 
reason  of  their  appearing  like  calves  as  they  ascended,  was,  be- 
cause from  correspondence  the  natural  exulting  affection  of 
seeing  and  knowing  has  the  appearance  of  a  calf,  and  the  reason 
why  they  appeared  like  dead  horses  as  they  fell,  was,  because 
from  corresj^ondence  the  understanding  of  truth  from  the  Word 
has  the  appearance  of  a  horse,  and  the  non-understanding  of 
truth  in  the  Word  has  that  of  a  dead  horse. 

There  were  some  children  below,  who  saw  them  falling,  to 
whom  in  their  descent  they  seemed  like  dead  horses ;  at  which 
they  turned  away  their  faces,  and  said  to  their  master,  who  was 
with  them,  "What  is  the  meaning  of  this?     We  beheld  men- 


4 


Cliap.  xiii.]  TUE  apocalypse  revealed.  611 

and  now  instead  of  tlicni  there  are  dead  horses,  tlie  sight  of 
■which  we  could  not  bear,  and  we  therefore  turned  aM'ay  our 
faces;  master,  let  us  not  stay  in  this  phice,  but  let  us  go:"  and 
they  de])arted.  The  master  then  instructed  them,  as  they  went 
along,  upon  the  signification  of  a  dead  horse,  saying,  "A  horse 
signitit'S  the  understanding  of  the  Word;  all  the  horses  which 
you  saw,  had  that  meaning;  for  when  a  man  goes  meditating 
from  the  Word,  then  his  meditation,  at  a  distance,  has  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  horse,  a  generous  and  sprightly  horse  according 
as  he  meditates  spiritually  upon  the  Word,  and,  on  the  con- 
trary, a  poor  and  dead  horse  according  as  he  meditates  thereon 
materially."  The  children  then  inquired.  What  it  is  to  medi- 
tate on  the  Word  spii-itually  and  materially?  To  which  the 
master  replied,  "  I  will  illustrate  it  by  examples :  Who,  when 
he  reads  the  Word,  does  not  think  of  God,  his  neighbour,  and 
heaven  ?  Every  one  who  thinks  of  God  only  from  an  idea  of 
his  person,  and  not  from  an  idea  of  his  essence,  thinks  mate- 
rially ;  so  he  who  thinks  of  his  neighbour  only  from  his  form, 
and  not  from  his  quality,  thinks  materially ;  and  he  who  thinks 
of  heaven  only  from  ]>lace,  and  not  from  the  love  and  wisdom 
which  constitute  heaven,  thinks  also  materially."  Upon  which 
die  chihh-en  said,  "We  have  thought  of  God  from  person,  of 
our  neighbour  from  form,  as  being  a  man,  and  of  heaven  as  a 
place ;  did  we  therefore,  whilst  we  were  residing  the  Word,  ap- 
pear to  any  one  like  dead  horses?"  "No,"  replied  the  master, 
"  jou  are  but  children,  and  could  not  think  otherwise ;  but  I 
have  perceived  in  you  an  affection  of  knowing  and  understand- 
ing, which  being  spiritual,  you  have  also  thought  spiritually. 
But  I  M'ill  return  to  what  I  observed  at  tirst,  that  he  who  thinks 
materially,  when  reading  the  Word  or  meditating  upon  it, 
appears  at  a  distance  like  a  dead  horse,  but  he  who  reads  it 
spiritually,  like  a  living  horse;  and  that  he  thinks  materially 
concerning  God  and  the  Trinit}',  who  thinks  of  God  only  from 
an  idea  of  person,  and  not  from  essence ;  for  there  are  many 
attributes  of  the  divine  essence,  such  as  omnipotence,  om- 
niscience, omnipresence,  mercy,  grace,  eternity,  and  others; 
and  there  are  attributes  proceeding  from  the  divine  essence, 
wliicli  are  creation  and  preservation,  salvation  and  redemption, 
illumination  and  instruction;  every  one  who  thinks  of  God 
only  from  an  idea  of  person,  makes  three  gods,  saying  that  one 
^od  is  the  creator  and  preserver,  another  the  saviour  and  re- 
deemer, and  a  third  the  illuminator  and  instructor;  but  every 
one  who  thinks  of  God  from  an  idea  of  his  essence,  makes  one 
God,  saying,  God  created  and  preserves  us,  redeems  and  saves 
us,  illuminates  an^l  instructs  us;  this  is  the  reason  why  they 
who  think  of  the  Trinity  in  God  from  person,  and  thus  mate- 
rially, cannot,  from  the  nature  of  their  ideas,  which  are  mate- 
rial, avoid  making  three  gods  out  of  one ;  but  yet,  coi\trarv  tv 
479 


611  THE    APOCALYP3K    REVEALED.  [Chap.   Xlll 

"svhat  they  think,  thev  are  forced  to  say,  that  in  each  there  is  a 
communion  of  all  the  attributes,  and  this  solely  by  reason  that 
they  have  entertained  some  faint  idea  of  God  in  respeci  to 
essence :  therefore,  ray  pupils,  think  of  God  from  his  essence, 
and  from  that  of  his  person,  and  not  from  his  person,  and  from 
this  of  his  essence,  for  to  think  of  his  essence  from  his  person, 
is  to  think  materially  of  his  essence  also;  but  to  think  of  his 
person  from  his  essence,  is  to  think  spiritually  even  of  liia 
person.  The  ancient  Gentiles,  inasmuch  as  tliey  thought  ma- 
terially of  God,  and  also  of  the  attributes  of  God,  not  only 
feigned  three  gods,  but  many  more,  to  the  number  of  a  hundred : 
know  then  that  what  is  material  does  not  flow  into  what  is 
spiritual,  but  what  is  spiritual  flows  into  what  is  material.  It 
is  the  same  with  respect  to  thinking  of  our  neiglibour  from  his 
form,  and  not  from  his  quality,  and  of  heaven  from  place,  and 
not  from  the  love  and  wisdom  which  constitute  heaven.  It  is 
the  same  with  all  and  every  single  thing  in  the  Word ;  there- 
fore he  who  entertains  a  material  idea  of  God,  and  likewise  of 
liis  neiglibour  and  of  heaven,  cannot  understand  any  thing  that 
it  contains;  the  Word  is  to  liim  a  dead  letter,  and  he  himself, 
when  he  reads  it  and  meditates  on  it,  appears  at  a  distance  like 
a  dead  horse.  They  whom  you  saw  falling  from  heaven,  and 
who  appeared  in  your  sight  like  dead  horses,  were  such  as  had 
closed  the  rational  sight  in  themselves  and  others  by  this  pe- 
culiar tenet,  that  the  understanding  is  to  be  kept  in  subjection 
to  their  faith;  not  considering  that  the  understanding,  when 
closed  from  a  principle  of  religion,  is  as  blind  as  a  mole,  and 
there  is  nothing  but  mere  darkness  in  it,  and  such  darkness  as 
rejects  from  itself  all  spiritual  light,  opposes  its  influx  from  the 
Lord  and  from  lieaven,  and  sets  up  a  barrier  against  it  in  the 
sensual  corporeal  part,  far  below  the  rational  in  matters  relating 
to  faith,  that  is,  places  it  in  the  nose,  and  Axes  it  in  its  cartilage, 
on  which  account  they  cannot  afterwards  so  much  as  scent 
spiritual  things ;  whence  some  have  been  reduced  to  such  a 
state  as  that  the  very  scent  of  any  thing  spiritual  throws  them 
into  a  swoon  :  by  scent  I  mean  perception.  These  are  they 
who  make  God  three ;  they  say,  indeed,  from  an  idea  of  his 
essence,  that  God  is  one,  but  yet  when  they  pray  in  conformity 
to  their  faith,  to  the  following  effect,  that  God  the  Father 
would  have  mercy  for  the  sake  of  the  Son  and  send  the  ITol}^ 
Spirit,  they  evidently  make  three  gods :  they  cannot  do  otherwise, 
for  they  pray  to  one  to  have  mercy  for  the  sake  of  another,  and 
serrtl  a  third."  After  this  the  master  taught  them  concerning 
the  Lord,  that  he  is  the  one  God,  in  whom  there  is  a  divine 
trinity.  I 

END   OF    VOL.  I. 

480 


DUE  DATE 

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